A Forced Awakening
by Sun-Kouhai
Summary: I was a hopeless fool, but I was still innocent before I entered the world of Awakening. After waking up within the game, I needed to learn how to adapt and fight in this new world if I ever wanted a chance to return home. A Self Insert fic. AU.
1. Prologue

With a quick tug of my hand from within my pocket, I produced my house keys only to watch in horror as they slipped out of my grasp to clatter uselessly to the ground.

I stared pitifully down at them, desperately sending mental pleas for them to levitate back into my hand. They ignored me.

 _Which god's wrath did I evoke to deserve this punishment?_

I let out a weary sigh. "Today's just not my day."

Procuring my keys, I jammed it into the lock and unlocked the door, giving the handle a light downward tug as I pressed the door open.

My face was blasted by the heat of the apartment, and the fragrant smell of cat pee filled the air. It was good to be home.

The TV blared loudly into the living room as my dad sat on the edge of the couch, lifting up some 30 pound dumbbells. He had been working out consecutively almost every day for months; the effort was showing. He had some nice muscle development on his arms, making me a tad jealous when I compared them to my lanky arms. I didn't have any right to be jealous. He offered plenty of times to work out with me, but I always declined out of laziness, that and after a long day at work I didn't have any energy left to work out.

I shuffled my way to the fridge, and gazed longingly at the alcohol that resided within. Every fiber of my being begged for me to uncork a bottle and drink myself silly.

 _One more year,_ I chanted in my head, as I reached for the milk.

Pouring some into a glass, I took a quick swig of it, hoping it would give me the strength to carry on with life. Being a privileged white boy was difficult, almost to the point of being unbearable. Who would cruelly send their almost twenty year old son out in the world to do back breaking labor for four hours? Monsters I tell you!

"How was work?" I heard a familiar voice call out to me, breaking me from my mental struggles.

I glanced over in time to see my dad set his weights down on the ground, giving me his full, undivided attention.

I merely grumbled back in response, setting my glass down.

"That bad huh?" he asked, arching an eyebrow at me.

I flopped onto the couch beside him. "It wouldn't be so bad if my coworkers actually helped out instead of sitting around talking," I huffed, making a strangling gesture with my hands.

He frowned. "You could always order them to help you out."

"I could do that but I'm too…" I paused briefly, cupping a hand to my chin as I wracked my brain for what I wanted to say. Finally, I gave up and swiveled my head towards him. "What's the word?"

His eyes lightly sparking with amusement. "A pushover?" he offered with a toothy grin.

"I was gonna say submissive but that works too," I relented.

We sat in silence, merely enjoying each other's company while we watched mindless television.

After a brief silence he spoke up again. "Got any plans tonight?"

"Besides crawl into a corner and die?" I gave him a light shrug. "None."

He chuckled. "Well, just so you know, I already ate, so…no dinner plans tonight."

I pushed myself off the couch. "Sounds good," I said, giving him a quick thumbs-up as I made my way into my room, shutting the door behind me.

Grabbing my black 3DS from the top of my dresser, I removed _Smash Bros_ from it and replaced it with my new _Fire Emblem: Awakening_ cartridge. I needed to relax and unwind for a bit, so I decided to brush up on the game again. It had been a couple months since I last played the game and I hadn't even finished it yet, making it as far as Chapter 15 before putting the game down and loaning it to a friend. The bastard never did give it back.

I powered on the device and booted up the game. Swiftly, I moved past the title screen and created a new profile.

Starting from the beginning seemed like a good idea and would help jog my memory a bit on how to play again. I didn't have much of a choice in the matter either. I had accidentally wiped all the data on the 3DS, because I'm an idiot, removing all the progress I had made thus far in the game.

As I started customizing my male avatar to look like me, I thought back to when I was first introduced to the game series.

I had stumbled across a let's play of _Fire Emblem: Fates_ from a Youtuber I liked, and after that I had fallen in love with the series, or at least the new ones. I was the lowest of the low, one of those new trash wannabe fans that had only played Fates and Awakening. Hell, I don't even think I could consider myself a true fan if I've never even beaten either game. Only finishing Birthright and Conquest, I never got around to finishing Revelations. That was at least better than my attempt at playing Awakening. This time I swore I would beat the game, or at least that was the lie I told myself.

I spent a few hours working my way through the tutorial, prologue, and a few of the other chapters before stopping after completing; 'The Mad King Gangrel'. Eventually my fingers started getting cramped and my eyes dry from the excessive amount of gaming.

Saving my progress, I shut down the 3DS.

I poured a few eye drops into my eyes to help relieve them, before pocketing the nearly full bottle. The struggle of having laser eye surgery was constantly having to pour those onto your eyes, but at least I could see without contacts or glasses now.

Removing my headphones from my computer's audio jack, I plugged them into my phone which I then removed from the charger. I checked the time and was surprised to see it was only 11:32 pm.

With a shrug, I grabbed my keys, deciding that it wasn't too late for me to go on my nightly walk.

Making my way to the living room, I picked up a water bottle, and adjusted my headphones.

My dad glanced up at me from his TV show. "Bit late for a walk," he noted, looking at the clock on the cable box.

"I need to clear my head and get some fresh air," I replied, spinning my keyring around my finger. "Plus, I need a break from electronics."

He nodded. "All right, just be careful," he said.

"I will," I promised, giving him a two-finger salute before closing the door behind me and locking it.

As I walked, I would occasionally glance around to make sure no one was following me or I'd give myself a wide berth to the passing cars. Call me 'paranoid', but I wanted to lower the chances of being killed, kidnapped, or raped by anyone. Not specifically in that order of course.

I kept a hand in my pocket, helping to give off the illusion that any possible muggers would think I had a weapon. Now that I thought about it, I should really have been carrying a pocket knife. Hell, why wasn't I already carrying one?

The wind seemed to be picking up, causing me to shiver at the cold night air. It was the middle of November, and I had forgotten to throw on a jacket before I left. Not only would the warmth have been nice, but the extra pocket space would have been super convenient.

After walking about half a mile, I reached my old neighborhood. For thirteen years, I had lived here, playing in the park with my friends or racing against them on my bike. All that time we spent together felt like it happened a life time ago. Now I only came back here to reminisce about the good old times and to see how much had changed since I'd been gone.

I became so lost in thought that I was startled when a notification sound went off on my phone, signaling that I had received a text message. Quickly, I paused my music and checked to see if it was anything important.

Dad had texted me saying, 'Happy Birthday', followed by a balloon, and cake emoji.

I smiled as I read the text, checking my phone's clock, the time now reading 12:36 am. I had somehow survived twenty years exactly to this day. I quickly fired a text back. 'Thanks.'

Starting my music back up, I only made it a few feet before my phone buzzed for a second time.

'I love you.'

I shook my head, and smiled again. As I was typing back to him, the street light above me turned off. I wasn't to surprise by this, it happened every once in a while to some of the lights but it was still incredibly annoying.

'Love you too.'

With my final text sent, the street light began to flicker back to life.

In a sudden shower of purple particles, a figure materialized into thin air. The figure straightened up near the end of the sidewalk I was on. Judging by the width of the tall figure's shoulders, this was the body of a man, completely covered in a black cloak with swirling purple markings emblazoned on it. A loose hood covered his head and obscured his features. The golden embroidery at the end of the cloak's sleeves seemed to glow magnificently in the moonlight. I was reminded of the cloak that Robin always wore in Awakening. It was a cool looking cloak but not something you would normally catch people wearing, especially this late at night. Maybe he was a cosplayer?

The figure looked around, appearing to take in the environment. "What a wretched world, full of pitiful creatures." His voice was cool, calm, and deadly. It chilled me to the bone. "I shall enjoy purging it."

I really hoped he was a cosplayer.

"Wh-who's there?" I backed away slowly.

He fixed his gaze on me. In the pitch black darkness, I saw eyes in the depths of his hood.

Frightening eyes.

Inhuman eyes.

Glowing red.

A shiver went through my body, goosebumps running along my arms as the burning eyes bore into me, making my hair stand on end.

"I've been waiting a long time for you," he said. "She hid you well."

I raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

He paused and looked up at the sky. I briefly wondered why he was doing that. It was only when he began to speak that I understood that the figure was talking to somebody else. "I praise your efforts, Naga. But, did you not understand? That all dreams must disappear when the dreamer wakes." With a tone of abject annoyance, the figure spat in a suppressed voice. "Therefore it was inevitable that I would reclaim my vessel."

 _Naga? Was he referring to the divine dragon?_

I shook my head at the absurdity of it all. "You okay bud?"

With a sweeping gesture of his hand, shadowy wisps flowed from the sleeves of his cloak and spread across the sidewalk.

All right, definitely not a cosplayer.

"What the hell?" I exclaimed, back pedaling away from the expansive smoke.

The figure shook his head. "You have much to learn," he sneered. "And understand so little."

 _Well, I'm out._

"…Later!" I yelled, doing a quick whirl, sprinting in the opposite direction of the freak. But the shadowy wisps followed me and grabbed at my legs, pulling them out from underneath me, forcing me to the ground.

"I am your destiny and you are mine," he continued, as if I hadn't just tried running away. "Come, let us become one."

"Jesus Fucking Christ!" I groaned, the irony taste of blood in my mouth. "Sorry, I don't swing that way pal!"

Struggling to free myself, I kicked out at the cloudy wisp, but my feet merely slammed through them, like the intangible smoke that they were. "Let me go!" I cried out as I continued to fight with the wisps.

"Do not try to fight me." His voice taking on a sadistic nature as he sauntered towards me. "This was your destiny long before you were born."

The wisps dragged me across the concrete, pulling me closer to him. No matter how much I struggled and clawed at the ground, I couldn't get away. As I was brought next to the figure, the wisps began to dissipate back into the darkness.

"Go fuck yourself!" I yelled, throwing my water bottle, hoping it would provide me some form of respite.

Without even batting an eye, he swatted the water bottle away. "A meaningless effort."

I mentally curse, _why do you forsake me water?_

Getting back onto my feet, I took up a fighting stance. I was confident in my fighting form, having taken both Kung Fu and Karate classes for years. However, I had never been in a real fight, only ever getting some practice in during my sparring sessions. I really hoped today those skills finally proved useful.

Flying forward with a straight jab from my left hand, aimed for his face. He easily sidestepped it, and without even hesitating, slaps me across the face.

I blinked, completely taken aback at what had just happened.

 _Did this motherfucker just bitch slap me?_

He cocked his head. A patronizing gesture to an outmatched opponent. "It seems you need to learn your place." His expression twisted into a bloodthirsty smirk. "Allow me to put you in it."

My eyes widened, _NANI?!_

In a blinding speed, the cloaked figure lunged at me, his right fist connecting with my stomach. An audible crack sounding as my ribs were broken, and blood spewed from my mouth onto his cloak.

I collapsed to my knees, my right arm gripping my side as labored breaths escaped me, tears blurring my vision.

He wiped the blood off of himself in disgust. "You dare defile my precious cloak!" he shouted, murderous intent radiating off of him.

If I wasn't sure before if I was going to die, I was now.

A deep breathe exuded from him, "You deserve death for your insult." Scorn emanated from his voice. "However, you still serve a purpose," he stated, before back handing me across the face once more.

 _Seriously, fuck this guy!_

His resentment was barely reined in, but the flame of killing intent had already faded from his burning eyes. "Vessel, know the end of your eternal dream. I myself shall show you the harsh reality," he declared, as his fingertips touched my forehead. "Now awaken!"

A pulsating red light filled my vision. It was so bright I had to close my eyes. Pain shot through my head as images rapidly filled my mind. I heard screaming as I saw mangled bodies covered in blood, a dying world with a pitch black sky, a sea made of fire, and a crying girl with cobalt hair that I didn't recognize…It didn't take me long to realize that the screaming I heard was coming from me.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't move, I couldn't even feel my fingers. Swarmed by a torrent of agony, I could only focus entirely on keeping hold of my receding consciousness as my body writhed in pain. It felt like a cold hand was clutching my mind, trying to shatter it into a million pieces.

Soon the light faded away, and I coughed and vomited all the blood that I felt rising through my throat. Tears streamed down my face, mixing with the blood that had frothed at the edge of my mouth. It was as if the very life had just been sucked out of me, making me wonder if this person was actually my mother.

"… Haa…Haa…"

Raggedly exhaling the remains of my agony, I stared up at the figure.

"W-wha-" I choked out as I tried to breathe, my voice coming out hoarse and low as I attempted to speak.

"Why?" I gasped, uttering the one question that burned through my mind.

He crossed his arms, studying me for a long moment before finally responding, "Because I must become whole again."

I watched as the cloaked figure turned on his heels and calmly walked away. "But it seems my original form is still far too weak," he continued, putting his hand up, palm facing outward. The area around him distorted in a haze, in the next instant, a dark portal appeared in the empty space. "No matter, I've waited a long time for you. I can wait a bit longer."

The figure turned to me with his outstretched hand, and did a sweeping motion in my general direction. A black pit manifested beneath me, which seemed to seep and billow. I could feel it tugging at my legs, trying to pull me down into its murky depths. I desperately tried to break free of it, but I could feel my consciousness immediately begin to slip away from me.

He looked at me over his shoulder, disappearing into a dark portal as he did so. "By the time I see you next, make sure you are worthy." His voice carrying over to me into the fading wind.

I sank deeper into the black pit, the world around me becoming darker than the mantle that shrouds the blind. My eyelids began to lower as the darkness engulfed me, then it was all over.


	2. Chapter 1 - A Painful Awakening

_Why does everything hurt?_

I slowly awakened from my heavy slumber.

The hard texture of the ground pressed uncomfortably against my face. It felt rough and jagged as if I were sleeping on a bed of rocks.

A throbbing headache pulsed inside me as my eyes slowly began to drift open, sensation returning to my limbs. I rolled over, letting out a low groan.

Sunlight seared my eyes, completely blinding me.

"It burns!" I hissed, immediately trying to lift my arms up, desperate to shield myself from the light. Blood had ceased flowing into them, leaving them to uselessly flop around and remain limp at my sides, letting my eyes continue to burn until finally, a bit of blood worked its way into them. That terrible pins and needles sensation surged through my arms, as I flailed them about, covering my eyes. Only when my left hand was almost covering my eyes did I finally notice something was wrong.

A wickedly beautiful purple mark with what looked like six eyes was etched onto the back of my hand. I recognized the symbol, 'The Mark of Grima.' It was often used to show allegiance to the Fell Dragon Grima, the God of Annihilation.

I groaned, running a hand over my face into my dark brown hair. "Of course I would do something stupid and get a tattoo," I admonished myself, "but why did it have to be that? I would have preferred a command seal from the Fates series."

Frowning, I lowered my hand. _No use crying about it now._

With my vision finally adjusted and feeling less like a dying vampire, I pushed myself up into a sitting position, groaning in pain as I held onto my ribs with one hand.

I looked down at my clothes.

My plain black t-shirt was completely covered in dirt. What had once been a nice shirt was little more than a tattered and wrinkled mess. I paused as I noticed a stain on the front of it was still wet.

With a sigh, I lifted it upward, letting out an involuntary gasp as I did. Nasty looking bruises surrounded my ribs, and blood oozed from cuts that littered my torso. Now, I understood where the stain had come from.

"What happened to me?" My voice barely coming out more than a whisper as I lowered my shirt down.

I looked around, trying to make sense of my new surroundings.

 _Where am I?_

 _How long have I been here?_

 _And how the hell did I get here?_

All these thoughts swirled around in my head as I replayed last night's events. All I could remember was going for a walk and getting the text messages from Dad.

Dad.

"Oh, no…," I groaned weakly.

He was probably freaking out. Wondering why I never returned home last night.

I winced slightly as I pulled my phone out of my pocket. Looking at the top right corner of the device, I didn't have any bars. My right eye twitched a bit as I shoved the phone back into my pocket.

An exasperated sigh escaped my lips, "Brilliant," I muttered, lying back down. "What else could go wrong?"

 _Well…Might as well take a look around._

Painfully I lifted my body off the ground, gritting my teeth as I clutched my side. I felt the blood drain from my face and upper body as I got up too fast for my blood flow to keep up. I woozily waited for the haze that obscured my vision to disappear. With the haze no longer there, I was able to notice for the first time that I was standing in a crater.

"Seriously, what the Hell happened to me?" I murmured, rubbing the back of my neck.

Little by little I struggled my way out of the crater, letting loose a string of curses as I reached the top. Free of my earthly prison, I was finally able to get a better look at my surroundings.

A dense forest full of trees both thick and old surrounded me. I lifted my head to the sky, a few clouds drifted peacefully through the air and the sun shined high in the sky signaling that it was around midday.

Gingerly putting weight on my right foot, I took a step forward, having to steady myself until I could take a few more steps without my legs buckling. Slowly, I hobbled through the forest, taking in the unfamiliar sights and sounds as I walked.

Nothing about this place was familiar, but it provided me with an odd sense of nostalgia from all the times I went camping with my friends.

As the ground began to incline, more of the trees started to thin out, becoming less packed together. My breath became more ragged when I felt the weight of my injuries starting to take affect. Yet, I pressed on.

Trekking to the top of the hill, a grassy plain stretched out before me.

If I wasn't certain before that I wasn't in my home state, I knew for a fact now that I wasn't. The grass here was too vibrant to be part of the same desert full of dry and dead grass that I had lived in for most of my life.

I stood there for a few moments just taking it all in. The grass was thick and lush, rustling gentle in the breeze. A monarch butterfly lazily flitted around the grass, landing atop a pale lilac flower.

I lifted my face to the sky and let the wind and sun caress my skin.

The weather was nice and cool, a pleasant change of pace from the scorching heat that I was accustomed too. Just going outside in jeans made me feel like I was melting, but here I didn't have that problem.

With a weary sigh, I stuffed my hands into my pockets and continued to walk away from the forest in hopes of finding some form of civilization.

I made it about twenty feet before I tripped over a pebble and careened face first into the ground. Once more I felt its rough texture splendidly grate against my face. Oh how I loved tripping!

Flipping over so I was on my back, my ribs flared up in pain. "Why me?" I whimpered, clutching my sides in pain.

I laid there sprawled out on the grass with my eyes closed for what felt like eternity, but was mostly likely only for a minute, contemplating whether or not to become one with the ground and give up on life.

"Hey there!" A voice called out, startling me, causing more pain to shoot through my body. "Are you okay?"

I swore. "Just peachy," I replied through gritted teeth, opening my eyes to look for the source of the voice.

Above me were two strangers peering down at me.

The first one was a young cobalt haired man with a gentle pair of cerulean eyes. He seemed to be rather well built, with broad shoulders and possessed youthful features, making me think he was somewhere around my own age.

The second and slightly younger one was a pretty looking blonde girl whose hair style was done into a pair of ponytails. She seemed to be in her mid to late teens but I honestly could never tell the age of women anymore, they were all over the board these days because of makeup. Her grayish-green eyes met with mine, they were filled with kindness and a hint of concern. She had a sense of cheekiness about her, but I felt that if she smiled she would look pretty cute.

The only thing I could think of was how amazing their costumes were. They looked exactly like Chrom and Lissa from Awakening. The guy dressed as Chrom even had a genuine looking 'Brand of the Exalt' on his right shoulder.

The Chrom cosplayer, gave me what I could only assume was a reassuring smile, "There are better places to take a nap than on the ground you know."

The man extended his hand out toward me. "Here," he offered, "give me your hand."

I started laughing, I couldn't help myself. They even sounded like their characters. These people were good.

Sorely, I took his hand and he pulled me up. Back on my feet, I winced slightly as I brushed myself off and let out a weak chuckle. "Thanks," I said.

The guy grinned. "No worries." A moment later, he furrowed his eyebrows and gave me a questioning look. "Are you all right?" he asked.

I waved him off. "Just slowly dying internally," I answered, "You know, normal stuff."

Lissa gasped as she got a better look at me, a hand flying to her mouth. "Chrom, look he's injured," she exclaimed, pointing to the blood that was dripping off of me, mixing onto the ground.

I lifted my shirt back up again to get a better look at my wounds, I blanched slightly at what I saw. Blood was streaming down from my cuts, they looked like they were becoming infected. The bruises also had a nasty black and purplish hue to them. I badly needed some medical attention before I got any worse.

 _Damn, this seriously hurts like a mother fu-_

"Here let me heal you," Lissa said, coming up beside me, dispersing my thoughts into the wind.

"I must emphasize caution, milady." A deep, strong, and calm voice advised from behind her.

I looked over her shoulder to see their third companion. A man in his mid to late twenties with tousled brown hair and brown eyes. As I regarded him, his entire appearance just screamed warrior to me. Tall, powerfully built, and adorned in a heavy blue and white plate armor that he wore with an ease that indicated he was well accustomed to its weight.

Next to him, he even had a real-life horse with matching armor.

The costume must have cost the man a fortune, but I had to give him props, he did an excellent job of looking the part of Frederick.

"But he's injured," Lissa shot back. "We have to do _something_."

Before Frederick could retort she was already in front of me grabbing at my shirt.

"Just, hold still while I fix you," Lissa said, trying to lift up my shirt.

I felt my cheeks heat up. "Woah! Woah! Hey now, what do you think you're doing?!" I asked, pushing my shirt back down. "No touchy."

A look of confusion played on Lissa's face. "What?" she asked. "I need to take off that shirt if I'm gonna heal you."

Either she didn't realize what she was asking me was a tad embarrassing or she didn't care, either way I was hesitant to comply.

I looked to the others for help. Chrom only raised an eyebrow at me, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly upward at my embarrassment, while the knight shot me daggers with his eyes.

I was on my own.

"Look." I crossed my arms together to shield my stomach. "I appreciate the whole wanting to stay in character thing but I really don't feel like messing around anymore."

Lissa stared at me, blinking. "What?" she repeated, putting her hands on her hips. "I'm not sure what you're talking about, but I'm just trying to help you."

I had to resist every urge to strangle the poor girl. I took a deep breathe to help let out some of my growing irritation. With my mind a bit clearer, I began to consider her offer. She seemed sincere, and although it was weird, it was probably in my best interest to just play along with them so they could help me.

"All right, fine," I relented with a soft sigh, unfolding my arms.

I wasn't necessarily embarrassed with my body, but I wasn't used to taking my shirt off in front of a girl. The upper half of my shirt was dried right onto my skin. I pulled the ruined cloth off myself with a scowl, revealing my body in all of its nonexistent glory.

I wasn't unfit or fat in any way, but I wasn't as built as I would have liked.

She stared at what I hoped was the bruises and cuts, I couldn't be too sure as I desperately looked at everywhere else that wasn't her.

The girl brought the staff by my stomach, a soft blue light exuded from the crystal as she moved it alongside my ribs.

My eyes widened slightly, but besides that I made no other movements in fear of ending this strange phenomenon.

The magic forced some of the broken bones back into place inside my chest. I bit my lip so hard that it began to bleed, unleashing a hailstorm of curses in my head towards the pain.

Bruises began to slowly fade until my skin tone returned almost entirely back too normal, and all my cuts disappeared completely. As the effects of her magic subsided, I let slip a content groan, only a small twinge of the previous pain remained.

Satisfied that most of my injuries were healed, Lissa lowered her staff, the glow from the crystal began to diminish and return to its original color.

If I hadn't seen and experienced it all first-hand, I wouldn't have been able to believe any of it was real.

"Wow…" I stood there stunned, staring at my now completely healed body, poking the areas where the wounds had once been.

Lissa smiled a weary smile, her face taking on a paler color. "Feeling better?" she asked softly.

I nodded dumbly. "Yeah…," I said, putting my shirt back on. "…Thanks."

I stayed silent for a few moments, and contemplated everything I had just seen. _What was that?_

Lissa stumbled away from me to the horse grazing beside Frederick. Whatever she had done obviously took a toll on her body, tiring her out.

Finally, I asked, "What did you just do?"

Momentarily ignoring me, she started rummaging through the satchel hanging on the side of the horse. From it, she pulled out a transparent vial, green liquid sloshing around inside of it. Popping off the cork, she took a quick swig before letting out a content sigh, some of the color returning to her face.

Lissa turned to me with a smile. "I healed you of course," she chirped, twirling her staff around.

I gave her a blank stare.

Picking up on my confusion, she began to explain, "I'm able to help heal injuries using this staff," she said, waving the metal stick in front of my face.

I nodded, even though I didn't fully understand what had just occurred, I found it easier for my sanity to go along with it.

My eyes trained onto the mysterious vial in her hand. "And what's that you're holding," I asked, pointing to the strange object.

Lissa gave me an empathetic look. "Wow…you really don't knowing anything, do you?"

 _Oh great!_ I thought. _Now she thinks I'm an idiot. This usually takes people a lot longer to figure out.'_

"Sorry." I offered up a slight shrug. "This is all a bit new to me."

Lissa balanced the vial easily on her open palm for me to see. "This is a vulnerary. It's a potion used for healing minor wounds, ailments, or replenishing one's mana or endurance."

"And…you drank one because of mana exhaustion," I concluded.

Honestly, I had no idea, I was just guessing.

Lissa nodded, lowering the vial. "The greater the injury the more mana I use up," she explained.

 _HAHA! Guess confirmed,_ I mentally cheered, giving myself a nice congratulatory pat on the back.

"If it's just some scrapes or cuts, I'm fine," she continued, completely unaware of my own mental stupidity. "But, when it comes to injuries like yours…" She held up the vulnerary again. "I start to feel light headed and woozy, so I need to drink one of these."

Chrom grinned, deciding to interject at that moment. "While my sister may be delicate, she's quite an impressive cleric."

Lissa mercilessly bonked him on the head with her staff. "I am _not_ delicate!" she protested, stomping her foot down.

I couldn't help but chuckle as Chrom rubbed the sore spot on his head. The girl's irritated expression wasn't helping the situation either, it only made her look cuter.

"Hmph!" she huffed, setting her lips into a stubborn pout, shooting us both a glare as she returned the vulnerary to the satchel.

My mind began to race as I considered my situation more thoroughly. Either I was dreaming, or I'd been sent to the world of Awakening. I really hoped I was dreaming, it would make my life a lot easier if I was.

Sadly, even after I slapped my cheeks and pounded my head against a tree, I couldn't wake up. All I got were some very sore cheeks and a massive headache.

"Hey!" Lissa cried, pointing her staff menacingly at me. "I'm not healing you again."

"Duly noted," I replied, pushing myself away from the tree, absently rubbing my pounding forehead.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Chrom asked. "We could-"

I raised up a hand, cutting him off. "Just give me one moment," I said.

Taking a deep breathe, I snapped my head up to the sky. My mouth opening wide as I did the only thing that could stop me from freaking out.

" _Fuckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk_!" I screamed. My voice echoed around the area, bouncing off the trees and ravines that were nearby.

After a couple moments, I steadied my breath, trying to calming myself down. I glanced over my shoulder to see that I was getting all sorts of curious looks from the three Ylisseans, but I didn't care.

"Sorry about that," I apologized, putting on a fake smile. "I'm good now."

 _No I'm not._

Chrom stared at me. "Are you sure you're fine?" he asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

 _Of course I'm not fine!_

It took a moment for me to reply, "Yes," I finally said, shaking my head as I desperately tried to calm my nerves. "I'm just trying to make sense of everything."

Even though I had grown up playing videos games, and been poisoned by numerous Isekai animes, I was still woefully unprepared for all this. I won't lie and say I hadn't ever thought about being summoned to another world, I mean who hasn't? However, that didn't mean I actually expected it to happen to me.

Chrom gave me a questioning look. "Tell me, what's your name?" he inquired. "What brings you here?"

I started to speak, "My name? It's…It's…" I hesitated for a brief second. They didn't need to know the whole truth, just enough to trust me. I pondered for a brief second before deciding on something. "Mark. You can call me Mark."

I didn't want to give them my real name. It wasn't because I didn't trust them but because in truth, I hated my name with a passion. Over the years I had come to despise it, whenever someone called me by my name it always sounded weird to me, as if it didn't belong to me. If I was in another world, it provided me with the perfect opportunity to change my name and start fresh. So, I chose to go by my father's name from now on.

"Mark?" Chrom repeated, blinking in surprise. "After the famous Elibe Tactician?"

 _That's right…,_ I thought. _That was also the name of the avatar in FE7._ _Not gonna lie, I had completely forgot about that.'_

I nodded slowly. "Yes, just like the tactician."

Chrom gave me a smile, offering out his hand for me to shake. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mark."

Returning the smile, I shook his hand. "Likewise, Chrom."

 _Damn he has a strong grip._

Releasing my captive hand, Lissa skipped over and offered me hers. "My name's Lissa," she said, smiling brightly.

Again I smiled, shaking her hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Lissa."

I stared at Frederick who was eying me warily. "I'm Mark," I said, offering him my hand.

Frederick didn't say anything, and ignored my outstretched hand, remaining as stiff as a statue.

 _This guy makes gargoyles look more alive._

With a slight frown, I lowered my hand to my side. "All right, good talk."

I turned to Chrom, wanting to ask a question that had been bothering me for a while. "Is there someone named; Robin, traveling with you?"

Chrom's brows furrowed, cupping a hand against his chin in thought. "Robin? Is that foreign?" he asked, before finally shaking his head. "No, I'm sorry but I'm not familiar with anyone by that name. Are they a friend of yours?"

 _We're screwed._

An unpleasant feeling of dread coursed through me as the implications of the role I had to fill became clear. "No," I murmured, rubbing my temple.

 _I don't want to play the role of Tactician, I don't even like leading people._

"You never did mention why you're out here," Chrom commented.

I thought about it for a second, before giving him a shrug. "Wish I could tell you that but I don't know myself," I replied. "Everything's a bit of a blur."

Chrom made a small, questioning gesture with his hands, beckoning for me to elaborate. "What do you mean?"

I sighed. "The last thing I remember was going for a walk last night. After that, well…," I trailed off, "I don't quite remember how I got here or where my injuries came from. My mind's coming up blank at that part." I wasn't lying to them when I said I couldn't remember, but I was definitely leaving stuff out.

Frederick rolled his eyes. "You don't honestly believe him milord?" he asked incredulously. "He could very well be a Plegian spy, trying to fool us with his act and garner your trust."

My eye twitched. This guy was really starting to piss me off. "If I was a spy, why would I have no weapon?" I pointed out, the irritation evident in my voice. "Better yet, why would I be out here in the middle of nowhere, dressed like this?" I gestured up and down at my ripped jeans and ruined shirt. "Instead of hiding out at the capital to acquire any actual useful _fucking_ information?!"

Frederick clenched his fists. "While you may not be a spy, you've definitely been withholding information from us."

My heart raced, but I keep my expression calm. "It's not my fault that you don't believe me because you're locked in your temple of soldierly self-righteousness." My jaw tightened. "Besides, you've all withheld the information of Chrom and Lissa being royalty," I countered, pointing to the brand on Chrom's shoulder.

Frederick rested a hand on his lance, "Choose your next words wisely for they may be your last," he growled out.

I gulped. I was like a tiny kitten facing off against a full grown lion. _This guy is going to murder me._

Chrom frowned, stepping between us. "That's enough you two."

"Milord I-" Frederick tried to speak but was cut off as Chrom gently placed a hand on the knight's shoulders.

"Frederick, please," Chrom said. "I trust him, even if his story seems a bit strange."

Frederick's hand remained on the hilt for a few more moments before he sighed, relenting with an unhappy nod. "As you wish."

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. Taking a moment to compose myself, I began, "Look, I'm sorry, it's just been a long day," I apologized, running a hand through my hair. "I would appreciate it at the very least if you could point me in the direction of the nearest town, then I'll be out of your hair."

"We're heading in the direction of the town ourselves," Chrom replied. "We would be happy to take you there with us."

Frederick shook his head. "Milord, will you not heed my advice and-"

Lissa let out a loud, irritated sigh before he could finish. "Stop being such a worry wart, Frederick," she berated, poking the knight in the chest. "Mark doesn't seem like such a bad guy."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. I honestly hadn't expected Lissa to come to my defense, I more expected that from Chrom than her.

Chrom nodded alongside Lissa. "I agree, beside we can't just leave him here, alone and injured. What sort of Shepherds would we be then?"

Frederick merely glared at me. "Just the same, milord, I must emphasize caution," he intoned, before adding. "T'would be unwise to let a wolf into our flock."

"Bite me," I muttered just loud enough for him to hear me.

Frederick glowered at me, grabbing ahold the reins of his horse, tugging it along with him.

Chrom came beside me. "Right then," he said, clapping his hands and rubbing them together. "We'll take you back to town and sort this out there."

I nodded at the prince, lacking any better option.

We began heading in what I assumed was the direction of the town. While we walked, I turned my head to Chrom and Lissa, and gave them both a smile. "Thank you," I said. "I appreciate you helping me out."

The two exchanged a grin.

"Don't worry about it," Chrom said, clapping a hand on my shoulder. "It's what we do."

For a majority of the walk, I stayed a few steps behind them, remaining mostly silent. I watched as they chatted together. I was amazed at how well the siblings got along with each other. Better than me and my older sister ever did anyways. It made me slightly jealous knowing that I could never have that kind of relationship if I was to be stuck here.

That's when it hit me, I was never gonna see anybody I cared about ever again. My friends and family were all gone, worlds apart from me. All I had now were my memories of them, but how long would those last before I started to forget?

The only reminders of my world now consisted of a wallet full of money that wouldn't work here, my house keys, and an almost useless cell-phone that had a limited lifespan.

Was I going to remain stuck here forever or was this all just temporary? I didn't know. I guess the most important question I had to ask myself was; _do I even want to go back?_

Even with all these questions and thoughts running through my mind, I felt like I was forgetting something, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

I mentally shrugged, if it was important it would come back to me.

Finally I spoke up, putting together what I wanted to say, "So…you're Shepherds?" I asked, trying to give off the impression that I didn't know anything. This façade was going to be both annoying and incredibly difficult to maintain. I was going to have to try my best to steer things in the right direction without giving away too much of my knowledge of this world.

Lissa gave me an enthusiastic nod. "That's right!"

"Never heard of anybody tending to sheep in full armor and weapons like that." I indicated to the sword hanging at Chrom's side. "Must be some dangerous wildlife around here."

Discounting Frederick, both Chrom and Lissa looked to be decently outfitted for combat. Chrom carried the legendary sword, Falchion; a gleaming, silver and gold sword that had a peculiar teardrop-shaped hole at the base of the blade. A white cape clung to the shoulder plate on his left shoulder, strapped onto his blue leather body armor.

Lissa on the other hand, while she may have been wearing an elegant yellow and white summer dress, hidden beneath it all she wore some light leather armor. Besides the staff she always carried around her, it didn't appear that she had any other weapons.

The prince chuckled in response, breaking me from my analysis. "You'd be surprised, it's quite a dangerous job. Just ask Frederick the Wary here," he said, gesturing to the great knight walking beside him.

I looked at the knight now. His face was stern, as it always was.

"A title I shall wear with pride," he replied, slightly puffing out his chest. "Naga forbid one of us keeps an appropriate level of caution."

I rolled my eyes. "Naga forbid one of us show some proper courtesy to others," I cut in, crossing my eyes.

Frederick took a deep breathe, and said in an apologetic tone, "Forgive me. I have every wish to trust you, stranger, but my station mandates that I ensure that no threat befalls my lieges."

I sighed. "It's fine," I said dismissively. "I should be the one to apologize anyway, you're merely doing your job."

Chrom grinned ever so slightly. "Well, I'm glad you two are getting along."

"Oh yes." I nodded. "Freddy and I are just the best of friends," I proclaimed, throwing my arm around the knight's shoulder.

Frederick sighed irritably, "I'll thank you not to refer to me by that ridiculous name." He roughly brushed my arm off of him and moved further behind, bringing his horse along with him.

"But I thought what we had was special!" I cried out in mock indignation, placing a hand over my chest.

Lissa giggled at my antics while Frederick merely scoffed.

"I think not," he growled.

I was gonna get myself killed messing with this guy but it would be so worth it.

Chrom chuckled beside me. "You play a dangerous game, my friend."

I flashed him a cheeky grin. "How so?"

"Only a fool baits a lion so eagerly," Chrom replied.

"I'll be fine," I reassured. "I know when to-"

A startled gasp cut me off.

"Chrom, look!" Lissa cried, pointing in the direction of a large smoke column rising up into the sky. "The town!"

 _Oh no…I completely forgot about this part._

We rushed to the top of the hill, giving us a good vantage point of the town.

It looked like something straight out of Middle Ages Europe. There was a cluster of houses, a church in the town square, a few inns, a saw mill, some farms, a blacksmiths, and everything else necessary to meet the demands of day-to-day country life. The only problem was the bandits swarming around the town, setting various buildings ablaze, while looting whatever they could get their grubby little hands on.

Chrom cursed. "Damn it!" he muttered. "The town is ablaze! Those blasted brigands, no doubt..." His voice coming out a little more than a growl. "Frederick, Lissa! Quickly!"

Frederick frowned, gazing at me with a coldness in his eyes. "What about him?" he asked, jerking a thumb at me.

"Unless he's also on fire, he can wait!" Chrom retorted impatiently.

Frederick grimly nodded, "Aptly put, milord," he said, moving to mount his horse.

Let's go already!" Lissa yelled, taking off in the direction of the town.

Chrom drew Falchion, and sprinted after her.

Moments later, Frederick galloped past me, his horse kicking up dust.

I covered my eyes, and coughed. As the dust began to settle, I realized that I was now completely alone.

 _Now what?_ I thought.

I stared at the plumes of black grey smoke that promised me a life of pain and misery.

 _It's none of your concern, just walk away._

I turned my body to face the trees, but no matter how hard I tried, my feet wouldn't move.

 _But could I live with myself if I ran away?_

My mind screamed at me, telling me to run. However, my heart told me something different. Its soft whispers telling me to fight.

They say you never truly know whether or not you're a hero or a coward until you're facing death. I've always been afraid of being a coward, telling myself that if given a choice I would be a hero. But now that I was at a crossroads that could determine whether or not I lived or died, I froze.

 _What kind of person am I?_

I quietly sighed, and let out a self-deprecating laugh. "A fool. That's what I am."

Facing the direction of the town, I took off, sprinting into the unknown.

"This is a horrible idea!" I shouted.

* * *

As I ran through the chaos, my eyes darted everywhere, taking in the wood and brick buildings that stood eave to eave with one another. The town reminded me of the renaissances fair but nothing about it felt fake. That's probably because it was all real. There were no cars, billboards, cell phone towers, or snow cone shops. I was slightly sad about the last one.

So many of the buildings I passed were now lying in rubble. Others burned out of control. Bodies of numerous villagers laid dead on the ground or against trees, each had his or her throat slit, a pool of their own blood forming beneath them. Besides all that, it was actually a nice looking town.

My leg muscles felt like they were burning from exhaustion, and I could feel my heart throbbing inside my chest. I slowed down to a light jog, moving myself into a nearby side alley to catch my breath. The inside of my mouth felt incredibly dry, and my lungs felt like they were going to burst.

"I am definitely…out of shape…" I coughed, clasping my hands over my knees, trying to calm my beating heart. _I'm never skipping leg day again._

"Please! Someone! _Heeeeeelp_!" A feminine voice cried out.

They sounded like they weren't too far away from me but I paused a moment to consider something. _How am I going to help? I don't even have a weapon._

Even when all logic dictated for me to run away, I still decided to help.

I dashed toward the direction of the voice. Rounding a corner, I found two ruffians about to end the lives of two girls. A blonde teenage girl, cowering and holding close to her, what I could assume to be her younger sister that she was trying to shield from the men.

"Please. S-stay away from us!" the oldest pleaded, backing slowly away from them.

A large burly man wearing mismatched attire consisting of stitched wool and animal fur stepped forward.

I recognized him as one of the barbarian sprites from the game, and trailing slightly behind him was a somewhat smaller myrmidon.

The myrmidons lips twisted into a bloodthirsty smile. "Come on little sheepy, we just want to play."

The two girls were visibly shaking, their backs pressed against the wall. They were trapped, forced to choose either running through the scorching flames of building beside them or towards the direction of me and the ruffians. Either way, they weren't getting out alive.

The myrmidon drew his bronze sword; the barbarian merely stood nearby, watching the scene intently.

The little girl that trembled behind the older girl's legs, buried her face into her sister's waist, and while the older girl hadn't faltered, I saw the fear in her eyes. These people didn't deserve to die. Even if I was cold enough to let them, some part inside me wouldn't allow it, I would try to save them.

With my resolve hardened; I did the only logical thing to do in this situation. I ran straight at them.

And then three things happened almost simultaneously. The myrmidon raised his sword and leveled it at the girl's neck, the youngest one screamed in terror, and I swung out at the man.

My right fist connected against the myrmidon's cheek, and I could see a few teeth were being dislodged by the sheer power of the punch. The sword clattered harmlessly to the ground, while the ruffian was flung backwards and hit the dirt with a loud thud.

I shook my bruised knuckles, now covered in cuts and blood from where I hit him.

 _Fuck that hurt!_

I didn't waste any more time to marvel at the punch and instead spun around, and leapt at the barbarian, who was still caught off guard.

The barbarian's eyes widened as my shoes connected against his jewels. His body went rigid before he let out a high pitched squeak, and crumpled to the ground.

I won't lie, in a life or death situation, I will fight dirty. Proper fighting ethics be damned!

As I came closer, the barbarian held one hand protectively over his lower region and tried to grasp his axe with the other hand. But as he did, I kicked him fiercely, viciously, until I was certain he couldn't rise.

This was going even better than I'd originally expected. Stooping down to the ground, I picked up the myrmidon's fallen sword, and turned towards the village girls.

"Are you all right?" I asked.

The older one stared at me like a deer caught in headlights. Her eyes frantically searching for any signs of danger.

I softened my voice, holding my hands up in a nonthreatening gesturing, and gave her a smile. "It's okay," I said. "There's no reason to be afraid anymore."

The girl gave me a shaky smile, tears of relief streaming from her eyes. "Th-thank you," she managed to stutter out.

I merely nodded my head, pointing with the sword in the direction I had come from. "Get somewhere safe."

They took off running, and I continued to watch after them until they rounded the corner, disappearing from my sights.

A muffled sound behind me caught my attention. I clumsily gripped the sword, ready for another fight.

I twirled around to see the myrmidon getting back up. He was now holding onto his bleeding jaw as he struggled to get to his feet.

"You're gonna regret that," he spat, flashing me his bloodied teeth.

I sighed, adopting what I hoped was a proper sword fighting stance. _Of course it wasn't gonna be that easy._

The myrmidon's eyes locked with my own, his hazel irises burned with a cold fire, as he plucked up the axe lying beside the unconscious barbarian.

I had never wielded a sword before, the closest thing being a toy lightsaber that I had used as a kid to do glorious combat against my friends. This situation was a lot different from back then.

Taking a deep breathe, I tried to calm my already frayed nerves. No matter how much I might train myself to fight an unarmed opponent, I wasn't ready to take on one with a weapon. If he got in a clean swipe, it was all over for me. The only way I was gonna have a chance of beating him was with this sword. Hopefully, it was enough.

The myrmidon charged at me, wasting no time to attack me.

Barely did I manage to sidestep his attack in time. He kept on swinging at me as I frantically tried to dodge or block all of his incoming strikes.

I knew from the weapon triangle that a sword would beat an axe because they were much lighter, longer, and easier to handle. This gave me a greater advantage both in speed and reach, but in the hands of an inexperienced fighter it meant little.

Thankfully, his attacks were as awkward as my skills with a blade. Apparently he wasn't use to the weapon he was wielding either.

I finally managed to parry one of his attacks, and swung at his undefended midsection, staying my hand at the last second.

 _This is another person!_ my mind screamed. _I can't do this!_

Seeing my hesitation, the myrmidon took the chance, knocking the sword out of my hand, and threw me to the ground. He pressed his boot on the back of my head, scraping my forehead against the ground and causing me to bleed.

"Not so tough now are you?" he snidely taunted me, raising his bronze axe, its curved blade reflecting menacingly in the sunlight. He brought it over his head, ready to strike down on me like an executioner.

I could only watch as he swung the axe.

I forced my eyes to stay open, if these were my last moments, I wanted to see it all. I wasn't going to just sit back and cower or beg for my life as death approached me. That was why, with my eyes open, I gritted my teeth.

 _So this was how it was all going to end?_ I grimly thought. _I don't want to die! Not like this. I'm still a virgin for god's sake!_

I'd been transported to another world and lost everything. Accomplishing nothing in my short life. I wanted to cry, yet not a single tear fell; I felt my heart stop.

I didn't see my life flash before my eyes, nor did I feel time slow down for me. All I felt was fear and regret coursed through my body, as my blood froze.

In the midst of my overwhelming hopelessness, feeling as if I had been abandoned by the world…A familiar voice rang out to me.

"Pick a god and pray!"

The voice overwhelmed the clamor of the surrounding chaos, the vulgar insults of the ruffian, my own heavy breathing as well as everything else, and shook my very world to its core.

The myrmidon didn't even have enough time to turn before a silver lance struck him from behind, the blade's tip protruding out of his chest. He looked at me in confusion, blood spraying out of his body onto my face. Blood trailed away from his lips as he let out a pained cough, droplets of blood hitting my mouth.

Desperately, I spat it all out, wiping the blood off my face with my hands.

 _Disgusting._

I looked over and saw his dead corpse lying beside me, blood pooling beneath him. His eyes staring straight at me, the light no longer in them.

A strangled yelped left me as I realized what I was looking at. At that instant my mind went blank. My entire thought process had completely left me, and my hands and feet were frozen in place.

 _He's dead…I just watched someone die._

I was visibly shaking, this was becoming too much for me to handle. At first I just thought of all this as a game but now I realized with a creeping feeling that none of this was a game; all of this was deathly real, and it was terrifying.

I lifted my head up, the person who had saved me was a magnificent knight atop a noble steed. A gentle gust of wind blew playfully against his rich chocolate hair, which was thick and lustrous. His face was strong and defined, his features molded as if from the most pristine marble. His back was to the sun, its radiant glow lighting up his pale skin, and reflecting of his armor, making him look devilishly handsome. It was Frederick. He had saved my life! In that brief moment I had gone gay for Frederick.

All I could do was stare at him in a daze, not truly comprehending what had just happened. I looked up at him in awe. "Thank you," I said quietly, a slight tint of red in my cheeks.

His voice was deep, with a serious tone. "Don't get careless!" he barked at me, riding away to help fight off more ruffians.

And just like that the image of a sexy great knight was shattered and I was straight again.

"Right," I grimaced, pushing myself up. I slapped my cheeks a few times to bring myself back to reality. "Man…I really need to get a girlfriend."

I looked down at the myrmidon's lifeless body. All I could do was stared for what felt like a lifetime at his empty eyes. I had to push back the bile collecting in my throat.

Sure this man might have just tried to kill me…but they were someone's son, someone's brother…he had a family and people that cared about him. He didn't want to be killed. Then again most people didn't. He was still a human though, what right did I have to try and take another's life?

Picking up the bronze sword again, I clutched the hilt tightly while regarding my reflection coming off the blade. "What kind of person am I?" I muttered darkly to myself.

Turning the sword over, I saw blood smeared across the blade, covering half of my face's reflection. I dropped the blade away in disgust.

 _Why am I even here? I don't owe these people anything, so why am I helping them?_

I wondered if I was only doing this because this was how it played out in the game. Now that I thought about it, these people were barely more than strangers to me. I had no reason to help them. The rush of excitement from meeting the game characters was blinding me to the reality of the situation. None of this was worth my life. So, I asked myself; _why am I trying so hard?_

These myriad of thoughts clouded my mind as I tried to find answers to all these questions. The only thing I got was a growing headache.

 _Man, I could really use some alcohol right now._

Finally, I sighed, closing my eyes. T _hey've saved my life twice now. It's about time I returned the favor._

Taking a deep breathe, I opened my eyes again and sprinted deeper into the burning town.

* * *

I raced through the dirt roads, cutting through any small alleyways that I could find, taking the time to look around to make sure I wasn't about to be jumped by any stray ruffians.

Finally, I arrived at the town square where I heard the sounds of metal clanging against each other. Making sure I was hidden from view, I leaned against the side of a wall and popped my head out, getting a better view of the area.

A man in blue armor, who I recognized as Chrom, was squaring off against two ruffians. He was panting heavily, cuts littered his body as he starred down the men that slowly circled him.

"Come on!" he challenged, brandishing Falchion at them.

As they edged closer, I managed to spot a pair of blonde pigtails hiding behind an apple stall. I ducked down, moving swiftly as I could manage while squatting out of sight. Getting closer, I saw Lissa peering over the stall, clutching her staff in a death grip, completely oblivious to her surroundings.

When I was practically beside her, I tapped her on the shoulder and spoke up in a hushed tone, "Hey, Lissa."

"Gya!" She let out a girlish shriek, practically jumping out of her skin. Before I knew what was happening, she swung her staff around, smacking me across the head with it.

I crumpled to the ground, laying sprawled out on my back as gray flecks swarmed my vision. "Son of a…" I pitifully groaned out.

 _Why do I keep ending up on the ground?_

"M-Mark?!" Lissa's eyes widened in both surprise and recognition as she crouched down beside me. "I'm so sorry," she hurriedly apologized. "You really scared me. I thought my heart was going to jump out of my throat!"

"Yeah…" I mumbled, holding onto my throbbing head. "Sorry about that…I won't do it again."

Lissa helped me to my feet, steadying me so I wouldn't fall back down. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Thought I would try helping out," I replied, shaking my head a few times. "But after getting decked by your staff, I don't think you need it."

Lissa gave me a sheepish grin, her face growing flush in embarrassment. "I said, 'I was sorry'," she muttered.

"Its fine," I chuckled. Taking a moment to look around the plaza, I asked, "Where's Frederick?"

Lissa looked around uncertainly. "Chrom sent him off to help evacuate any citizens he came across, but that was a while ago…" she trailed off.

I gave her a reassuring pat on the back. "Don't worry," I said, "he's probably fine."

"He's not the one I'm worried about," Lissa murmured, looking away from me.

I turned to follow her gaze.

Chrom was still pitted against the two ruffians and looked even worse than before. It was clear that he had more skill than them, but quantity had a quality of its own as they managed to keep him on the defensive.

One swung an axe at him, and Chrom barely managed to parry the strike away.

Using the slight delay between each attack to his advantage, Chrom stabbed the barbarian in the heart, killing the man instantly. However, Chrom was now wide open for the other barbarian to strike him down before he could wretch Falchion out of the dead man's body.

"Chrom!" Lissa cried out in fear.

Without thinking, I picked up an apple from the stall and chucked it at the barbarian. The red blur soared through the air, smacking the man in the shoulder, throwing off his axe swipe, making it sail inches passed Chrom's head.

"Nice throw!" Lissa cheered beside me.

A grin spread across my face, as I subconsciously relaxed my shoulders in a sense of relief. "Thanks," I said. "I honestly didn't expect that to work."

Chrom turned around as another swipe was aimed at him. He managed to duck down, avoiding the attack, and thrust his blade deep into the man's gut.

The barbarian gasped as blood spurted forth from his wound.

With a kick to the chest, Chrom sent him crashing to the ground.

The barbarian was no more.

With the fighting over, Lissa and I sprinted across the square to Chrom.

As we approached, Chrom dropped Falchion to the ground and fell to one knee.

"Weak!" I hollered as we drew closer.

Chrom glanced over his shoulder, regarding me, with surprise. "Mark?"

I nodded, giving him a cheeky grin. "Yes, I am Mark."

"Why did you…followed us…?" Chrom managed to choke out.

I shrugged. "I ask myself the same-Whoa!" I caught Chrom as he just about fell over. "Are you all right?" I asked. "You look like your about to pass out."

"I'm fine," Chrom replied with a weary smile, gratefully accepting my support. "Sorry if I worried you."

Lissa rolled her eyes. "And you called me delicate," she quietly remarked, pressing her staff closely against his wounds. The familiar glow of healing magic permeated the square, as she worked.

Looking up momentarily at Chrom, Lissa asked, "How do you feel?"

Chrom took a deep breath in and grinned as the cuts disappeared from his body. "Better," he admitted.

I crouched down to the ground and picked up the divine sword. It was a lot lighter than I expected it to be, and I felt like a badass holding it. My thumb rubbed over the pummel as a part of me wanted to make a whole bunch of heroic poses with it, while another part of me wanted to take the blade and run. I was well aware of the fact that I couldn't wield it, but I could still dream.

 _Damn my lack of divine blood!_

I hesitated for a moment before reluctantly holding out the sword for Chrom. "Think you can handle the rest?" I asked.

A look of dread crossed over Chrom's face. "Rest?" he repeated, straining to swivel his head around.

Across the stone bridge that connected the town square and church, stood five more ruffians.

From my position it looked like they had a pair of mages, along with two more myrmidons that stood guard in front of the bandit leader.

Chrom sighed, finger combing his hair off his face, then took Falchion from my hand. "Well…I never could turn down a challenge," he said, rested his sword on his shoulder. "Let's see what I'm capable of."

The healing light soon faded away.

"There!" Lissa smiled triumphantly. "I may not be able to fight like you, but when you get injured. I'll be the one to heal you back into top form!" she promised.

"Thank you," Chrom said, smiling gratefully at Lissa as she helped steady him back up.

When Chrom was fully back on his feet, he turned to me and said, "And thank you. I owe you one."

I arched an eyebrow at him. "For what?" I asked.

"For lending us your aid." Chrom lifted the bruised apple off the ground, and tossed it to me. "And in my eyes, that makes you a friend."

My hand shot up and caught the fruit. "Thank me if we manage to get out of this alive," I countered.

The approaching sound of horse hooves signified our missing member.

I spun around to see Frederick trotting towards us atop his horse. He didn't look any worse for wear, in fact his armor looked like it was in pristine condition. Not a single scratch or drop of blood marred his armor. The same couldn't be said for his lance though. Just looking at the red stains on it made me sick.

Frederick's horse slowed down to a walking pace as he brought it to a standstill beside Chrom. "Milord, Milady, are you alright?" he asked, giving the two a slightly concerned look as he dismounted. "Is anyone injured?"

Chrom waved him off. "We're fine, Frederick," he replied, and gestured towards me. "Thanks to Mark here."

Frederick shot me a quick glance. There was a lingering hint of suspicion in his eyes, but there was also something different from before. Was it respect? Gratitude? I'd so rarely been looked at in those ways, I wasn't sure. He gave me a slight head-nod.

I returned the gesture. I still owed him for saving my life. When this was all said and done, he and I were going to have a heart to heart, even if I had to tie him down to do it.

"All the ruffians on the outskirts of the town have been dealt with," Frederick said, handing Lissa a vulnerary.

"And the villagers?" Chrom inquired. "Are they safe?"

"All the ones I came across have been safely evacuated," he replied.

Chrom nodded, and let out a relieved sigh. "Good."

Frederick's face slightly darkened. "However, some of the villagers informed me that a few people are still hiding out inside the church," he said.

"Which is currently where the rest of the bandits are," I noted, looking over at the group of men trying to break down the church door.

I clapped my hands together. "Well that's just wonderful."

Lissa's eyes were wide as she dropped the vial, clattering to the ground. She looked over at Chrom worriedly. "We have to save them!" she exclaimed.

Chrom nodded, his grip tightening on Falchion. "I agree with you," he said, then gave me a curious glance. "Mark, are you armed?"

"Besides this apple?" I asked, jokingly, lightly tossed it upwards and caught it as it fell back down.

After a second, I sighed. "No," I admitted, my face going grim. "I don't have any weapons."

Chrom also sighed. "All right, then you and Lissa stay behind us," he ordered, gesturing for us to hide behind the apple stall again. "I don't want you two rushing into danger."

I crossed my arms together, and raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you have a plan?" I asked.

Chrom slightly nodded. "Frederick and I will charge in, hit them hard, take out their leader, and save all the remaining villagers."

"That's it?" I asked incredulously. "That's the best you could come up with?"

Chrom scratched the back of his head. "Ahh…yeah," he replied confused. "It's only five guys."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, and shook my head at him.

 _Naga. Please protect this poor, stupid, innocent child._

After several seconds Chrom finally gave in. "Well what do you suggest then?" he asked, throwing his hands up in frustration.

"Hmm…" My brows furrowed in concentration as I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. I studied the path to the bridge, trying to find any way to sneak up on the ruffians. "Is there another way around the church?"

Frederick pondered for a moment. "Yes…," he said slowly. "I remember seeing another path on my way here."

"Interesting…" I mumbled as an idea started to manifest in my head, "well I believe I have a plan," I said casually. "That is, if you're interested, of course."

Chrom perked up slightly at that. "I'm all ears," he replied, giving me his full attention.

I beckoned for them to move closer to me, huddling us together.

"The good news is they haven't noticed us yet, so we have the element of surprise on our side. However, since Chrom and Frederick will be the only one's fighting, you'll both be incredibly outnumbered." I picked up a stick and began squiggling shapes into the dirt, making a quick outline of everything.

"What I suggest is that both of you go across the bridge and quickly dispatch both of the mages," I continued. With the stick, I made a line from the two triangles I'd drawn, which represented Chrom and Frederick, and moved them over to the tomes, crossing out both of the books.

"They'll be the biggest threat," I said. "After that, focus your attention on getting rid of the two myrmidon's."

"What about their leader?" Frederick cut in, indicating to the circle with a frowny face on it, positioned in front of my crude looking church.

I pointed my drawing stick threateningly at the knight. "Patience miniature gargoyle," I said,  
"I'm getting to that."

Frederick scowled at me, grabbing ahold of my stick and snapping it in half.

I stared in feigned horror as my drawing utensil fell brokenly to the ground. I silently mourned for my deceased wooden friend.

When the stick murderer made no further comments or actions against me, I went on. "As I was saying before I was so _rudely_ interrupted!" I practically shouted at the knight, spittle flying onto his face. Frederick brushed it off himself in disgust.

"I'll sneak around them and take the leader's attention off of you two, so you can deal with the others," I said, finally wrapping up my no doubt, ingenious plan.

Chrom frowned. "How are you going to fight?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me. "I thought you said you didn't have any weapons?"

I chuckled, waving a dismissive hand at him. "Don't worry," I said, "I got something up my sleeve."

To be honest, I had nothing up my sleeve, but they didn't need to know that.

"I hope it's more than a stick," Frederick muttered.

Chrom and Lissa tried their best to stifle their laughter, but were failing miserably.

My boyish pride felt wounded.

I whirled around, sticking an accusatory finger at him. "What was that pony boy?" I asked.

Frederick gave me a questioning look. "Pony boy?" he repeated.

I ignored him and turned my attention to Lissa who was still stifling a giggle here and there.

"While we are all doing that, I want you to stay on the outskirts of the bridge, out of harm's way," I said, becoming serious once more, "but I still want you within distance to heal one of these two in case they get injured."

Lissa nodded, grinning at me. "You got it," she chirped with a quick salute.

I looked back at the prince and knight. "If either of you get hurt, make your way back to Lissa," I said, "I'd prefer if nobody get themselves killed trying to be a hero."

Chrom nodded his head. "Sounds like a better plan then what I had," he grudgingly admitted.

I smiled smugly. "Does everyone know what they're doing?" I asked, scanning all of their faces. My gaze stopped on Chrom as he gave me a concerned look.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked. "You don't have to…," he trailed off as I shook my head at him.

"I won't sit around while you guys risk your lives," I retorted, a hint of defiance in my voice. "I want to help."

A slight smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Then I shall put faith in your plan," he said with a nod. "You've lent us your strength once more, and for that I am thankful."

"Th-Thanks," I happily stuttered before looking over at the other two.

Lissa gave me an encouraging smile, while Frederick, was…well Frederick.

I clapped my hands together. "All right then, let's get started."

I walked passed Frederick as he pulled himself up on his horse, and grabbed the reins. "Remember, Mark, we will be against practiced thieves and murderers," he said, warningly. "They will grant us no quarter. It's kill or be killed."

My face darkened, as I subconsciously clutched the apple harder. "I know," I muttered crossly, walking away from him.

As Lissa and Frederick left to take up their positions, I called out to Chrom as he was about to leave. "Hey!"

Chrom looked over his shoulder at me.

"Be careful," I said.

"That goes double for you." Chrom shot back with a smile. "Stay safe. I don't want you getting hurt for our sake."

I gave him a two-fingered salute, and with that I was running away without another wasted moment. I needed this plan to work or we might not even make it past the game's prologue.

My feet pounded against the street that would take me to the alternate route across the river. I tossed the apple over my shoulder as I ran. It wasn't going to be any use for what I had in mind.

After a few minutes I arrived at the backside of the church, behind the bandits who were focusing their attention on Chrom and Frederick.

I pushed myself against the building's wall, trying to figure out my next course of action.

 _All right, you're here. Now what genius?_

The more time I spent thinking; the growing sound of magic, clanging metal, and horse hooves began to fill the air.

Over the ensuing chaos, I could barely make out the leader's voice, "Sheep ripe for the slaughter!" he proclaimed as he cracked his knuckles.

If memory served my correctly, his name was Garrick. After playing through the beginning area so many times, he was one of the few enemy's names that I could remember.

Frantically, I searched for anything that I could use as a weapon. My eyes settled on a shovel protruding from an unfinished grave. While it wasn't a sword, I'd seen the damage a shovel could do to a man.

I shrugged. _Good enough._

Making my way past all the graves, I drew the shovel from the ground, it was solid and long enough to give me some reach in a fight. Clutching the shovel, I ran around the side of the church.

I managed to catch sight of Chrom, who was locked in a battle against both a myrmidon, and mage, dancing around all the incoming blades of wind directed at him, while fending off the myrmidon's sword simultaneously.

Frederick seemed to be faring far worse, stuck between fighting the other myrmidon, and a mage, while also avoiding Garrick's throwing axes.

I ran behind the mage, a green glow filling his hand as he charged up a wind spell.

Bringing up my shovel, I swung it, letting the shovel's weight carry me through the swing. A solid, and fleshy smacking noise came from the mage as the shovel hit him in the back of the head.

The mage crumpled to the ground, out like a light.

Garrick ignored me and continued to focus his attention on Frederick, while the myrmidon whirled around to face me with a bewildered expression.

"Who are you?" he asked, regaining some of his composure, tightening his grip on the sword.

I chuckled, shaking my head in amusement at the foolish man. "You mean you haven't heard of me?" I asked, momentarily planting the shovel in the ground. "Where I'm from, they call me…" I paused for dramatic effected. "The Shovel Knight!" I shouted, yanking the shovel from the ground and holding it high above my head in a dramatic pose.

I waited for some doves to fly into the air, or a glowing light to shine down upon me as heroic music played in the background. It never came.

 _Is this copy right?_ I wondered. _I feel like this is-OH GOD!_ I backpedaled as the myrmidon immediately swung at me.

I narrowed my eyes. "Rude!" I yelled as I held the wooden shaft, pointing the tip of the shovel at him.

I felt something warm on my cheek. Reaching up with my left hand, I touched a bit of blood running down my face.

 _I am so screwed!_

The myrmidon grinned, his eyes glittering in cruel amusement as he lunged forward with a quick stab.

I barely deflected it with the metal blade, and backed away from him as he continued his assault.

In the limited space we had in between the building and the water, the myrmidon edged me towards the church.

I didn't like the idea of being pinned against a wall but it was better than falling in the water…wait a minute, no it wasn't!

My shoe hit a rock, throwing me off balance, and the shovel fell from my hand. I pressed my back uncomfortably against the church wall, my forehead prickled with sweat and fear as the Myrmidon came closer.

The man laughed as he swung, sensing his impending victory.

I ducked just as the sword cut into the wooden wall above me, inches away from being a fatal blow.

 _Welp, I don't need to go to the bathroom anymore._

Not allowing him time to recover, I punched him in the chest, and slammed my forehead into his face, almost breaking his nose.

The myrmidon grunted in pain and fell backwards, clutching his head.

My vision became slightly disoriented as I also held my head, "Fuck. Why did I do that?" I groaned out.

With the bandit still on the ground, I used the opportunity to quickly kick him in the back.

The myrmidon let out a pitiful whimper and curled up into a ball to protect himself.

I prepared myself for a beating I was gonna very much enjoy. I landed a second kick, and reared back for a third one, pausing momentarily.

The myrmidon removed his hands that were covering his face to look at me. The instant he did, I gave him a final kick in the face. When his eyes didn't open, I crouched down to his side, pressing my ear against his bruised body, listening for a sign of life. Faintly, I heard the weak beating of his heart.

I let out a relieved sigh. I dropped to my knees in exhaustion, taking deep breaths of air in an attempt to calm my beating heart.

A muffled cry of pain filled the air.

I looked over in time to see Frederick tumble off his horse, an axe embedded in his left shoulder. His head collided against the stone ground, knocking him out cold.

My eyes widened in disbelief and fear as Garrick stepped on Frederick's chest, and wretched the axe free of his shoulder. Blood dripping off the edge of the blade and onto his armor.

It only took me a split second to react. I darted over to them as fast as my legs could carry me. My lungs were beginning to burn and my muscles ached, but none of that mattered. The only thing that I cared about in that moment was Frederick.

Before Garrick could strike again, I was on him.

I landed on his back, the weight and the force of my leap drove us both to the ground. We rolled there, grappling with each other, each trying to gain some kind of advantage over the other.

One of Garrick's wildly flailing arm's hit me with a ringing blow across my left ear. Then I managed to get my right arm free and punched him hard in the nose.

Blood gushed down his face as he drove a fist into my stomach with the force of a freight-train, I gasped as the air was driven out of me.

Garrick scrambled to his feet, and retrieved his hand axe. Gripping the weapon, he stalked over to me.

My heart pounded in terror as I watched him tower over me. _Well this seems familiar._

I was a dead man now. However, that didn't mean I wouldn't try. "Please…Spare me," I said. I needed to buy some time to think. Hopefully, I could distract him long enough to come up with something.

Garrick's shoulders now trembled. He threw back his head and laughed as if at some private joke before returning his murderous gaze on me. "Mercy?" he spat, bringing the edge of the blade under my chin, pressing lightly into the soft flesh of my throat. "I don't believe in mercy."

The axe pricked a little harder against my throat and I felt a warm trickle of blood sliding down beneath my shirt.

"Worth a shot," I mumbled, giving him a slight shrug.

He brought the axe back up, ready to strike me down. Then there was a thud of hooves on stone and a large, shape was driving towards us.

Frederick's horse charged at the bandit leader, spinning in its tracks and lashed out with its rear hooves as he came within range. The horse's rear hooves caught the man in the ribs and, with all the force of the horse's upper legs behind it, sent the man crashing to the ground.

 _Thank god for that fucking horse!_ I mentally cheered. _When this is over, I'm giving that thing an apple._

Garrick landed on his back with a hoarse groan. The kick had done some serious damage to him.

I dived on top of him, not making the same mistake he had made, and pinned his arms beneath my knees. I wretched the axe from his hand, the weapon trembling in my grasp as I clutched it.

He began to say something, "P-please…sp-spare me…" he sputtered out, broken and bleeding.

I gave him a small, contemptuous laugh. "I don't believe in mercy."

Mustering up all my remaining strength, I slammed the axe down onto him, the blade piercing right through his skull with a sickening thwack.

His eyes bulged out of their sockets. A stream of crimson spewed out of his mangled face, revealing parts of his brain and skull through the torn flesh.

I let go off the axe and fell away from him. Even after the weapon left my hands, it remained embedded in his face.

Vomit surged through my throat as I hunched over and spewed onto the ground. My eyes drifted back onto his lifeless corpse and I heaved again onto the blood covered dirt. I kept retching until only clear liquid came out of me. Finally the torrential vomit subsided and I gasped for breathe as I tried to regulate my breathing again.

I wiped the vomit away from the edges of my mouth, the taste still prominent in my throat as its awful smell penetrated my nostrils.

A tear drifted down my cheek, dripping onto the ground. "I'm…so sorry," I apologized weakly. The voice that escaped my mouth was empty, like a wind blowing from a hollow cave through a crevice.

I felt like there was nothing left inside of me, as if I had cast away a vital piece of myself that made me human.

I wasn't a hero. I wasn't a savior. In my eyes I was nothing more than a mere murderer.

My hands shook uncontrollably. I looked down at them to see they were covered in blood. Part of my mark was stained red. A soft purple glow seemed to exude from it. In the center of the eyes, glints of purple pulsed off of them like a thousand tiny hearts. It was as if each one was staring back at me.

I broke out into a sob as I lowered my hand and used my right one to cover it. Desperately trying to hide the truth from the world and myself.

"…I'm a monster…"

* * *

Sitting on the ground against the church, I pulled my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them as I buried my face. My shirt was torn and stained, my pants were soiled, and my hair was matted with mud and streaked crimson with dried blood. I was a mess, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was the axe slamming down on him, over and over again, and then, I could see the way the life drained from his eyes.

I'd never killed before, not by accident or in self-defense. My only intention at the time had been to stop him from hurting Frederick. That, at least, had been accomplished, but it had come at a heavy price.

And as hard as I tried to avoid the comparison, in that moment, I had seen myself as one of them, killing without mercy. Everything inside me felt broken, and I was scared to fall asleep now. I feared that if I dreamed, all I would see was his mashed skull.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, breaking me from my thoughts.

I tilted my head up slightly to see Chrom's face, there was a range of emotions; pity, understanding, and one that I was not expecting to see…

 _Concern_.

"…Mark?" Chrom's voice was light and warm, "Are you okay?" he asked gently.

I pressed my lips together and nodded. "I'm fine," I lied, my voice was hoarse. I didn't trust myself to say anything more.

Chrom frowned. "I know that I can't rid you of your pain…" he began as he quietly slid down the wall beside me. "But maybe…If I stay here with you…I can help some of that pain go away," he finished as he scooted a bit closer to me. It wasn't close enough to be pressed to my side, but enough to provide a sense of comfort.

Even if it may not have been much, I appreciated it immensely.

We sat in silence for a few moments, as I looked out at the town as it started bustling with activity once more.

Now that the ruffians were no longer around, people were beginning to come out of their hiding places, and help with the rebuilding process.

Anybody who was injured was being taken cared off either by Lissa or from people who knew how to provide some form of medical treatment.

Besides my heart, I didn't have any wounds aside from a few cuts or scrapes. Nothing meriting a healing staff or bandages. Maybe they had a few 'Hello-Kitty' Band-Aids lying around for me to use.

Chrom had already been treated by his sister; and thankfully it was only minor stuff. I didn't know if I could handle the knowledge of knowing I had gotten him killed because of my stupid plan.

As I continued to watch the town, the silence was finally broken with a soft sigh coming from Chrom.

"I still remember," he said softly, "the first time I killed someone."

I looked curiously at the young prince but didn't say a word.

Chrom met my gaze with a smile and continued to speak softly, perhaps not to be overheard by the town's people, or perhaps because saying it louder made it all the more real.

"I would have been fifteen. I was visiting a small lumber village in the north, when a group of bandits attacked. I ended up killing three of them." Chrom went silent for a while.

I had to refrain from asking the whirlwind of questions that assaulted my mind. I didn't ask him any. I knew from experience that it was better for some questions to remain unasked.

"I didn't think much of it at the time, they would have killed me if I hadn't fought back," Chrom said. "I can still remember the blood. There was so much. I can still see him, the way he looked at me before he died, before I killed him…" he trailed off, his eyes becoming dull and hollow with long-buried memories swirling in their depths.

I was quiet for a long moment. "Why?" I asked. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I know what you're going through," Chrom said lightly. "The fear, the pain, and the agonizing regret of it all. I've been there, and if you let it, those thoughts will consume you. Don't let it. Don't give into the despair your feeling."

"How?" I mumbled, hugging my knees more tightly.

"What was that?" Chrom asked, leaning in closer to hear me.

"How?!" I repeated much louder this time, before lowering my voice back down. "How do you deal with it all? Knowing-knowing what you did?"

Chrom rested a hand on my shoulder. "Because I have people worth protecting," he said. "They're the reason I can still go on." He offered me a soft smile that seemed to mask so much sorrow.

I let out a mirthless chuckle. "That's the thing, I don't have anyone worth protecting." I tilted my head to look up towards the sky. "Not anymore…"

Chrom stared at me, waiting for further explanation. When I didn't give any, he finally asked, "What do you mean?"

I let out a tired sigh, resting my chin on my knees as I closed my eyes. "It doesn't matter, nothing I can do will change that."

"Well, even if you don't, I'll still fight to protect you," Chrom said, squeezing my shoulder in a reassuring manner.

Opening my eyes, I glanced towards him, surprised. "Why?"

Chrom removed his hand from my shoulder, and gave me a smile that practically radiated warmth. "Because friends protect each other."

I turned my head so that my cheek was on my knees, looking at Chrom somewhat curiously. "We're friends?" I asked.

"I think so," Chrom answered sincerely, scratching the back of his head with a grin.

A surge of joy swept through me upon hearing those words, but it was quickly quelled by the burning hatred I felt for myself in this moment.

I pretended to gaze out towards the horizon, hiding my sorrow with a bitter smile. "You don't know anything about me."

"I know you're a good person, who fought to save Ylissean lives," Chrom remarked. "That's good enough reason for me to trust you."

I wasn't a good person, and I didn't deserved his trust. I was nothing more than a fraud. Could he see into me and know how his words bit into my heart? Or did I have no heart, no soul?

"You're unwavering trust in others will be the death of you." I sounded more sardonic than I felt.

I watched the kindness, the warmth, evaporate in a flash. A depressed look taking its place. "Maybe, it will," Chrom reluctantly admitted, then his expression grew solemn, "but until then, I'll continue to rely on those around me."

There was nothing I could say to that. Chrom was the kind of man who took strength from others, and was committed to his beliefs, no matter how naïve or foolish they may have been.

We were silent for several seconds. Finally, I quietly asked, "What do I do now?"

Chrom shook his head. "I can't answer that, Mark," he said, then pointed a finger at me. "That's for you to decide."

I laughed breathily and without humor. "Well you're a big help."

Chrom let out a quiet sigh, running a hand through his hair. He looked like he was lost in thought, as if he were carefully selecting his next words for the best effect. "How about you start by asking yourself this; who are you? And what do you want?"

"I don't know…," I admitted with a slight hint of heartfelt pain. "For a while I did, now…I'm not so sure."

Chrom paused momentary as he contemplated something, then nodding to himself. "Mark…," he tentatively began with a smile full of gentle kindness. "Would you like to join us and become a Shepherd? We could use someone like you."

I looked away, staying silent for a few moments, contemplating everything I had just heard.

 _Could I honestly be a Shepherd?_

My heart raced at the prospect of all that lay ahead of me. I would be sent off to fight in multiple wars, slaughtering people who were just defending their country. No matter what Chrom told me, one thing was certain. I was not, nor would I ever be, ready to go to war.

"You don't have to decide right now." Chrom's voice interrupting my internal debate, and I looked back at him. "We can also take you to Ylisstol with us if you wish."

"I'll go with you to the capital," I said, "but after that…" I gave him a shrug, "we'll see."

Chrom's shoulders seemed to slump but he gave me a slight nod, apparently satisfied with my answer for the time being. There was a long moment of silence between us until he cleared his throat. "It looks like Frederick's all healed up now," Chrom said, getting up from the ground. "I'm going to check on how he's doing."

Chrom twisted around to stretch his body, then walked towards the bridge, leaving me to my thoughts.

I went back to starring at the sky, watching as the clouds drifted by.

Chrom's words stirred something inside me. _He's right, I can't let these thoughts destroy me. I need to bury this pain._ I looked around. _Where's that damn shovel?_

Giving up on physically burying my pain, I called out, "Chrom! Wait."

Chrom paused, and glanced over his shoulder, giving me a curious look. "Hmm?" he mumbled, quirking an eyebrow at me.

After making my decision, I took a deep breathe, and got up off the ground.

I walked over to stand right beside him, and gave him a small grin. "Thanks," I said.

Chrom smiled, slinging an arm around me. "You're welcome."

We both walked over to where Frederick and Lissa were.

Lissa was conversing with a villager, who handed her a bundle of clothes, while Frederick held out an apple for his horse.

The horse tossed its head approvingly, and trotted forward and took the apple delicately from his hand, and crunched on the apple.

I have never seen a horse look so blissful in my entire life.

As we approached, Lissa looked over at me in surprise. "Mark?!" she exclaimed.

I gave her a small wave. "Hey," I said meekly as Chrom removed his arm from me.

"Are you all right?" Lissa asked, looking me over in concern.

"Thanks to your brother," I said, nodding in his direction. "I am now."

Lissa beamed at Chrom, who grinned sheepishly.

I pointed to the garments. "What are those for?" I inquired.

Lissa's eyes widened. "Oh!" She held out the clothes for me to take. "These are for you," she said.

I took the clothes from her; a white tunic, black trousers, and a pair of leather shoes.

"Where did you get these?" I asked, thankful for the change of clothing.

"I asked the villagers for a change of clothes for you since you needed some new ones," Lissa explained as I removed my ruined shirt, replacing it.

I smiled at her. "Thank you," I said. "I appreciate it."

I looked around hoping to find a secluded area to strip down so I didn't have to traumatize my friends. "Is there anywhere for me to change?" I asked.

Chrom grinned and nodded, pointing to a nearby building that seemed like it wasn't being used.

With a grateful nod, I went to the building, and tore of my clothes. As I got to my undergarments I realized something. I didn't have a new pair. _Do men even have underwear in this world?_ I wondered.

My knowledge of medieval garments was lacking, and this world was a bit of a mystery as well in that regard. I cringed at the thought of going commando, but I wasn't left with much choice. Finished changing, I left the building feeling much better now that I had new clothes, even if the tunic was a bit big for me.

I went back outside to meet my companions who were discussing something with one of the villagers.

Just as I got to Chrom's side, Lissa shrieked, "Wait, what?! We're not staying?!" Her expression taking on one of disbelief. "But, Frederick, it's nearly dark!" she protested.

 _Looks like I didn't miss much,_ I mused.

Chrom chuckled at his sister's crestfallen expression, lifting his shoulders at her in a boyish, what-can-you-do? Shrug.

Frederick gave her the closest thing he could probably muster to a grin. "When night falls, we'll camp," he said. "Eat off the land, make our bed of twigs and the like...I believe you mentioned you would be 'getting used to this'?"

Lissa pouted, glaring at him. "Frederick?" she said. "Sometimes I really hate you."

I laughed, barely feeling someone tap me on the shoulder.

I turned around to see two village girls. I blinked, realizing that I was staring at the same girls I had saved earlier.

The oldest girl cleared her throat, and awkwardly bowed her head to me. "Milord, thank you for saving us." She nudged her little sister in the side, who quickly scurried over to me and held out a brown wool cloak for me to take.

I shook my head and held up a hand. "Keep it," I said with a sad smile. "You don't owe me anything."

"Please, milord," the older girl insisted, still bowing. "We know it will never be able to fully repay you for the kindness you have shown us, but we would like you to have it."

I let out a small sigh. "Very well." I hesitantly took the cloak from the little girl, and gave them both a smile. "Thank you."

The little girl quickly hugged me, mumbling out a thank you.

I awkwardly, returned it with one hand, still holding onto the cloak with the other.

The little girl broke free, and returned to her sister's side. The older sister gave me a genuine smile of gratitude, then bowed again to me before hurrying off into town with her little sister in tow.

I turned to find Chrom, grinning at me.

I rolled my eyes at him. "What's the plan?" I asked, draping the cloak over myself and tying it on. "Are we staying here for the night or camping?" I didn't hear how the conversation played out, but I got the feeling that it didn't end in Lissa's favor.

"Camping," Chrom said with a hint of reluctance in his voice. "Frederick wants to make up for lost time."

Frederick nodded gravely. "Indeed I do. We've made quite a few detours recently," he said, clasping his hands tightly behind his back, his shoulders straight and stiff. "Speaking of detours…" He turned that level, unsmiling gaze at me. "I assume your presence indicates that you will be joining us on our trip to Ylisstol," he went on. A statement, not a question.

"So it would seem," I replied cautiously. "Do you have a problem with that?"

If he did, his face revealed nothing about it.

"If that is what milord, and milady wishes, then I shall not stop you from accompanying us," Frederick said, then he turned, and walked away from me.

I was honestly surprised. I had expected him to try to dissuade Chrom from allowing me to join them like he did in the game but so much stuff was already drastically different here than they were in the game, so I couldn't be sure anymore.

When a pouting Lissa came up beside me, I sent her a smile. "Quite the harsh taskmaster you got there," I joked.

"Yeah, well, 'harsh' is one name for it," Lissa grumbled. "I can think of a few others!" she shouted at Frederick as he clambered back onto his horse.

I snickered, and leaned in close, whispering into her ear. "Want to put a frog on him while he's sleeping?"

Lissa's crestfallen expression turned to one of mischief as she gave me a wink. "I like the way you think," she said.

Usually, I wouldn't be down to mess with anyone like this but I felt like cheering the girl up after all she had done for me. Plus, it's Frederick, I took immense joy in screwing with him.

"This is what he gets for making us suffer!" I proclaimed in mock anger, shaking a fist in his direction. He ignored me.

"It's one of his few pleasures," Chrom chuckled. "Frederick only smiles when he's about to bring the axe down."

I involuntarily flinched, slightly, _TRIGGERED!_

Lissa elbowed him in the stomach, giving him a frown and nodding her head in my direction.

Chrom's eyes widened as the realization of what he just said dawned on him. "I'm so sorry, Mark. I didn't…What I meant was-"

"It's okay," I interrupted, forcing on a smile for his sake, which was transparent at best. "I know what you meant."

Frederick coughed. "Well then, shall we be going?" he suggested suddenly, changing the topic. "The sooner we leave, the sooner we get back."

Chrom cleared his throat awkwardly and gave him an appreciative look. "Yes, let's go," he said. "The capital isn't far from here."

As Frederick led the way atop his horse, the town's people gathered to see us off. They hollered words of appreciation and praise as we left the town, waving goodbye to us. Most of it seemed to be directed at Chrom and Lissa, which I didn't mind. I didn't really do much to help.

A little boy came through the crowd, running up to Lissa to give her a white flower, and ran back into the crowd with a hint of crimson in his cheeks.

"Thanks!" Lissa called after him waving, a huge smile plastered on her face.

I watched her waving, the sun slowly dipping behind her, making her hair glow golden as it bounced around from her exaggerated gesture; her eyes alight with exuberance in her carefree smile.

I couldn't help but smile as well.

 _Maybe life here wouldn't be so bad after all._


	3. Chapter 2 - Burning Night

For the most part, I walked in silence, listening to my companions talk. Through all their joking, I did manage to learn a bit about them. Chrom was younger than I was, Lissa hated getting her dress dirty, and Frederick was ambidextrous. Who knew?

As we walked, I watched the knight. He sat atop his horse, eyes transfixed on the horizon. My feelings towards him were mixed at best, ever since he saved my life. I wasn't sure how I should react around him anymore. I tried to gauge his mood. The strong, stoic face told me nothing. I wasn't sure what would be the best method of approaching him, so I decided to just bite the bullet and go for it.

Taking a deep breathe to steel myself, I prepared myself for what would probably be an awkward conversation. "Frederick?" I tentatively began, walking up beside him.

"Yes?" he asked curtly, not even bothering to look at me.

"Are you…okay?" I asked, quietly.

"You mean my shoulder?" He looked over at the marred section of his armor, running a hand over it. "While it might still be healing, I expect I can still manage better than someone who's never swung a sword before." He reverted his attention back to the path ahead of us. "There's no need for worry."

There was silence between us, then I spoke, "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"I would never have guessed," he deadpanned.

I chose to ignore the comment.

"Anyways." I wasn't looking at him. Instead, I kept my eyes trained to the ground. "I, uh…man, this is gonna sound so awkward." I rubbed the back of my head. "I don't even really know how to say it…"

"Words typically help," Frederick suggested.

I ignored the jibe and looked up at him. "I wanted to say…thank you."

Frederick raised an eyebrow. "For what?" He looked sideways, peering down at me, making me feel even more insignificant in that moment.

"For…you know, saving my life." I looked back at the ground. "I know you don't like me, but I appreciate what you did for me none the less."

He broke his stare after a few moments. "You're welcome."

We walked a few kilometers farther in silence. The sun was lowering over the trees now and our shadows were becoming long and distorted on the ground. I managed to muster up the courage to ask him a question that had been occupying my thoughts for a while now.

"Hey, Frederick?" I murmured softly, as I walked closer to him.

Frederick let out a weary sigh. "What?" he inquired. "Is there something else you needed from me?"

I gave him a light shrug. "No, not necessarily. I just wanted to talk with you some more."

"What did you have in mind?" he asked. His tone definitely did not encourage further conversation.

I bit my lip, unsure whether or not I wanted to have this conversation with him. I felt like out of the three, Frederick would understand–or, at least, he would make the best confidant when it came to this particular subject.

I shifted uneasily. "I want to discuss some philosophy," I said.

Frederick blinked, before giving me a slight frown. "Philosophy?" he inquired, quirking his head slightly. "What about?"

I hesitated. "Well," I began uncertainly, "I just wanted to ask you...how do you feel about killing others?"

Deep creases lined his forehead as he pursed his lips. "Killing?" he echoed.

I mutely nodded in response.

Frederick studied me for a second or two, then his shoulders lifted slightly in a shrug. "I live to serve and protect milord, and milady, as well as the Ylissean citizens. If someone threatens them, I will not hesitate to defend them, even if it means I have to kill to do it. That is my duty as a knight."

I frowned. "Do you ever feel any regret afterwards?" I asked.

"Not anymore." Came the reply. I waited for him to expand, but he didn't. "Then why-"

"Feeling for those you've killed is an admirable trait…," he interrupted me, his face blank and voice flat. "But only if you don't let it become a hindrance." He clenched his hands around the reins, his eyes closing. "Something, I had to learn the hard way."

I watched him as he rode, I was confused as ever. Frederick was a complete enigma to me. I had no idea what to make of him. Though he'd stopped regarding me with as much suspicion, I still didn't know really anything about him, and that bothered me. I understood Chrom and Lissa because I had used their characters a lot in the game, but I had rarely ever used Frederick. I knew he protected and guarded Chrom and Lissa with an eagerness that was somewhat frightening, but other than that, I had no window into this man traveling with me.

For a few minutes, the clanking of the horse's armor was the only conversation between us. Beyond that, I could also hear Chrom and Lissa chattering, the flowing water from a nearby river, the light brush of wind blowing in the trees.

There was a long pause before I began, "I use to view killing in a cold, and calculated manner." I laced my fingers behind my head as I walked. "I assumed it would have been easy, but now that I've experience it, I realized how wrong I was." I gave a long pause, staring at him the entire time. "Perhaps I'm just being to idealistic here, but do we really have to kill people?"

"Now you're starting to sound like the Exalt," he said, with just the ghost of a smile, which gave me hope. Maybe he was human after all.

"While, I would like to agree with you, that simply isn't how the world works." The slight smile on Frederick's face dissipated as he donned a serious expression. "Sometimes, a single death can save many lives."

I frowned. "Is that really a good excuse to justify our actions? By saying we're doing it for the sake of others?" I asked, a touch to sharply. "There should never be a reason that allows us to kill somebody. To take someone's life is just wrong, no matter how you look at it."

Frederick shook his head in a show of exasperation. "So we should just let our enemies kill us? Let them slaughter the lives of people who are unable to fight, while we spare their lives?" He turned his penetrating gaze upon me. "I'm afraid I don't quite follow that logic."

I fell silent and looked away, I had no response to that. He was right in a way. The reality was that the world was a cruel place that viewed fighting as kill or be killed. There was no good or evil too it, just life or death. Each one was a choice that had a horrible consequence. I neither wanted to kill, nor did I want to die, but I was forced to choose.

"You don't have to fight you know." The softness of the older man's tone made me examine his face more closely. After a moment I realized that his brown eyes held not the usual, unreadable hardness, but a soft concern and understanding that looked decidedly out of place but very much welcome on the knight's face. "If you don't have a reason to fight then you shouldn't fight."

 _Was it really that simple?_

I didn't belong anywhere anymore. I was alone in a world full of strangers, with no one to protect. What reason did I have to fight?

None.

Yet, Chrom offered me a new purpose in this world, to become a Shepherd. Something to fight for, and…a family. But, was that the life I wanted?

Frederick's voice dragged me back from my thoughts. "I will say this: the fact that you think killing is terrible proves that you will never grow fond of it."

I blinked, surprised by his comment. Then a small smile graced my lips. "Thanks."

That at least, was something I could take comfort in.

Frederick looked up at the sun, sitting low to the horizon in the western sky, then turned to me. "I think that's enough chatting for now. We need to make camp soon."

I nodded, slowing my pace. "All right, I'll tell the others."

As I walked back to meet Chrom and Lissa, I heard his voice call out to me. "Oh, and, Mark."

I peered over my shoulder at him.

"Thank you for saving me." The knight's lips twitched in the faintest of smiles.

I studied him a moment then closed my eyes, smirking. "You're welcome."

* * *

The river before us was wide and opaque. The water had a green tint to it, pale in the light, but growing darker in the shadows, however it was still green. The gentle thrums of the water, could be heard as we drew closer to it.

I made a clicking noise with my tongue, scratching my head in confusion. "How are we supposed to get across?"

I looked around for some kind of bridge, but couldn't find any. I didn't necessarily mind wading my way through the water, it might even help get rid of some of my smell, but it was Frederick's horse I was concerned about. Would it be fine in the water?

"Hmm…" Chrom stroked his chin thoughtfully before he answered. "It looks like we're gonna have to go around it."

"Why don't we us that?" Lissa pointed to a fallen tree, a little further up the bank that just barely reached the other side of the river.

Chrom smiled, and nodded. "That'll work."

"Allow me to go first to make sure it's safe." Frederick dismounted from his horse, pulling it by the reins, and proceeded to cross the tree.

When neither him nor his horse fell in or caused the tree break. He hollered back to us, "It's stable, but please watch your step."

"Hey!" Lissa called out to Frederick, hopping onto the fallen tree. "I told you-it's getting dark already!" she cried, waiting until he finished crossing before going. "Why couldn't we have stayed in the village?"

She continued her tirade of complaints but I blocked it out as I steadied myself on the tree, Chrom following a bit behind me. We made it halfway across before a gagging noise caused me to look up.

Lissa was flailing around, choking on a bug that had flown into her mouth. With all her rapid movements, she nearly fell into the river, just managing to maintain her balance long enough to crash onto the opposite riverbank.

 _Well if that isn't the definition of sexy._

I easily walked across the rest of the log and stepped off beside a gagging Lissa.

"You okay?" I asked.

Lissa had positioned herself, sitting cross-legged with her arms folded across her chest. She had put on a slight pout and was glaring at Frederick. "I really hate him."

I laughed, and Chrom snickered as he jumped off the log. "Aw, come on now, Lissa. Hardship builds character!" He offered her his hand as he failed to hide his amusement. "When we make camp, want to help me gather firewood?"

Lissa took his hand, and brushed off her dress as she stood back up. "No thanks. I'll pass on the firewood. I think I've built quite enough character for one day!"

"How much further," I inquired as Frederick easily swung back up on his horse a moment later.

"Not much," he answered evenly.

For probably ten more minutes we continued to walk. Until, finally, the vegetation changed and Frederick found a small clearing surrounded by tall trees and thick bushes. "We'll make camp here for tonight."

We all let out a collective sigh of relief. I sat on the ground, massaging my aching legs. The gnawing hunger in my stomach had grown considerably throughout the day, and caused a faint growling noise. I looked to Frederick. "Do we have any food?"

Frederick shook his head as he unsaddled his horse for the evening. "I'm afraid not. It seems like a little hunting and gathering is in order."

"Brilliant," I muttered sourly.

Chrom nudged me with his foot, giving me a smile. "Want to help me find some food?"

"Sure," I shrugged.

Picking myself off the ground, I followed him into the dense forest. While we walked, I spent the time looking at bushes and trees for any fruits or nuts that might have been edible. At some point, Chrom spoke up, "Do you see that?"

"What?" Instantly, I cast around, trying to find what he had found.

"There." Chrom pointed to the left.

I walked over in the direction he indicated and found animal footprints scattered across the ground. "Are those rabbit tracks?"

"Yes." Chrom kneeled down beside the disturbed ground. "But those aren't the only ones."

"There are others?" I inquired, looking more closely.

Chrom nodded. "There are stoat tracks here as well," he remarked, a hint of excitement in his voice.

"What's a stoat?" I asked.

Chrom looked up for a second. "It's a kind of weasel."

"Oh…," I said, feeling a little foolish, "well, the more you know."

Chrom stood up from where he'd gone down on one knee to examine the tracks in the dirt. "The tracks are still fresh, but it seems something frightened them."

"How do you know?" I asked, a little surprised by his knowledge of hunting.

Chrom dusted a little dirt from his knee. "You can tell by how deep the tracks are," he explained, walking a bit father into the forest. "Come on. The tracks go in this direction."

I followed him deeper into the forest, keeping my eyes trained on the ground for any animal tracks. After a while, I decided to ask, "Why did you ask me to come along?"

Chrom glanced sideways at me and smiled crookedly. "Wanted the company."

"But why me?" I asked, "Why not Lissa, or Frederick?"

Chrom tilted his head. "Do I need a reason besides that I wanted you to come with me?"

When my only response was arching an eyebrow at him, he sighed. "Lissa isn't the best when it comes to hunting, and Frederick doesn't do well with wild animals."

At that, I also sighed. "Why does no one ever just choose me for my good looks?" I asked, looking toward the sky. As always, it refused to answer me back. _Damn those useless clouds._

"What good looks?" Chrom retorted, unable to keep the playful smile off his face.

I momentarily stopped walking as I stared at him baffled. _Did he just…?'_

A genuine laugh escaped my mouth a moment later. "Oh, it is so on little prince!" The bemused expression on my face melting away into a devilish smirk.

Chrom gave me a quizzical look. "Little? We're the same height," he protested.

"Pfft!" I waved a dismissive hand at him. "Whatever you say, shorty."

While we walked, the banter continued between us. We barely even focused on hunting anymore, and spent more time simply enjoying ourselves by trying to one-up one another. I was surprised at how easy it was to talk to him. He was just so nice and easy going that it was hard not to like him. As we continued to go further and further away from camp, I finally saw something.

"Look!" I cried, pointing to a muddy section of the ground just off the path we were on. "More tracks."

Chrom twisted his head to look. "Good catch." He grinned.

I followed him as he walked over to the tracks. Again, he kneeled down to the mud, getting a closer look.

"Hmmm," he said thoughtfully, before he rose abruptly. "We need to go!" There was a slight panic in his voice.

"What? Why?" I asked.

"Bear," Chrom replied, nervously glancing around. "And it's a big one."

My eyes widened a fraction. "All right, let's get the hell out of here."

As I turned to leave, I glanced back at the thick undergrowth near the tracks, and my blood seemed to freeze in my veins. The undergrowth was moving, ever so slightly. Normally, I would have passed the movement off as being the wind, but after Chrom mentioned a bear, my observation and reasoning heightened due to fear. At that moment, there was no wind. Not even a light breeze.

Somehow, the bushes continued to move. I took a deliberate step back. Moving slowly as to not to startle the creature in the bushes.

"Chrom?" I tried to keep my voice down, but I was having trouble keeping it from quaking.

Chrom looked around, his gaze following mine as he noted the direction from which I was backing away. He followed my lead and slowly crept away from the bush.

We made it about ten feet, before my foot caught on a root, causing me to sprawl backwards onto the ground. A small groan escaped my lips. _Why was I born a klutz?_

Instantly, there was a scuffle of movement from the bush and I heard Chrom curse as he drew his sword.

The bushes parted, and at last I saw it, not twenty feet away-the large, hairy, muscular body and chocolate head of a huge brown bear.

As its eyes fixated on Chrom's hand, and the gleaming, razor sharp sword he wielded, the bear deliberately, cautiously reared back on its hind legs.

For a moment all was still. I watched in agony, fearful to make any form of movements. _Do I play dead? Do I try to make myself bigger then the bear? Do I do a little dance for it?_ My mind was so gripped with fear that I didn't know what to do.

A low, savage growl emitted from the bear as it landed back down on all its paws. The beast took a few steps towards us.

"Ch-Chrom," I uttered fearfully, the pounding of my heart growing faster and faster.

"Y-Yeah," he barely managed to stuttered back, his eyes flickering from me to the bear.

Slowly, I moved my legs, edging them beneath me. "Run!" I awkwardly scrambled to my feet, and bolted back down the path.

The bear let out a roar as it bounded forward. I heard the faint sounds of boots clapping against the forest floor, not far behind me.

"This is your plan?" Chrom shouted from behind me, sounding bewildered and confused. "He's gonna catch us!"

I glanced backwards to reveal to my horror that the bear was following us, and was slowly gaining. "You don't need to out run the bear, you just need to outrun your friend," I yelled, picking up speed. Adrenaline coursed through me as I pushed myself to run faster than I had ever run in my life.

While I ran, my eyes settled on a tree with low hanging branches, it was my best and only option. My feet skidded against the dirt as I veered over to tree, and like a squirrel, climbed rapidly upwards, closely followed by Chrom.

The bear charged through the forest, breaking through the thicket. I reached down and pulled Chrom up on to the branch I was on, moments before the bear reached the tree. And then came the sound of a heavy body slamming against the trunk of the tree, as the beast stood up on its hind legs, scraping against the bark with its sharp claws, letting loose roars of frustration as it tried to reach us.

Fearfully, we clung panting to the branch, desperate to stay atop of the tree. I heard the tree groan in protest beneath the bear's continuous impacts; but it held, and the huge body dropped back to the ground.

For an instant, all was silent; even the bedlam of the forest died down to become a faint murmur. Then I heard the beast below us start sniffing at the base of the tree.

It was Chrom who broke the silence between us. "That was a close one."

"Quiet!" I whispered, in a cautionary tone.

Beneath us, the bear slowly circled the tree, its gleaming eyes were fixed upon us in intent ferocity.

For about twenty minutes the brute alternately tore or sniffed at the tree, occasionally giving voice to a harsh, savage cry of baffled rage.

As we sat silently perched in the tree, my eyes steadied on the horizon, the last faint rays of sunlight hitting my face. Providing me with a small amount of warmth. Twilight soon beckoned with the stars not far behind. With an unwavering gaze, I watched the fiery red orb of light slowly sink down, it's light melting away before my eyes.

A small smile tugged against my lips, it was in my mind, my first sunset in this world. I hoped that it wouldn't be my last.

After what felt like forever, the bear seemed to lose interest, and slowly trudged its way back into the forest, to be instantly lost to view.

"Think it's gone?" I asked in a hushed tone.

"Maybe," Chrom murmured. "We should probably wait a few more minutes to be safe."

While we waited, Chrom reached beneath his armor, and pulled out a silver locket that gleamed in the moonlight. He absently began fingering it, looking to be lost in thought.

My curiosity finally got the better of me. "What's with the necklace?"

Chrom glanced over at me for a moment, then hesitantly removed it from his neck, and placed the pretty bauble in my hand. It was a locket, like I originally thought, but it was broken, only half of the locket was connected to the chain. I turned it over, the picture inside was worn, and depicted a beautiful, young woman. Her hair fell past her shoulders, and she wasn't quite tall, but her eyes and nose matched those of the man who sat beside me.

The woman wasn't anyone from the game I recognized, but she shared Lissa's mischievous smile. At length a simple explanation occurred to me. It was their mother.

"She's beautiful," I said quietly, handing it back to him.

Chrom let out a tired sigh, and an expression of wistful and forlorn longing sobered his eyes. "She was," he agreed with the faintest of smiles-one that seemed as if it would disappear at any moment.

I frowned, but said nothing, my eyes bent upon the ground, looking for any signs of the bear. After a brief silence, I spoke up again, "How did-"

"Come on," Chrom interrupted me. "The bear seems to be gone now."

I followed him down the tree. The necklace still on my mind. There was a lot about this world I didn't know or understand. Chrom's parents being one of them.

As we started walking back to our campsite, my gaze briefly lingered on Chrom. _Perhaps one day, you'll tell me._

* * *

After walking for an hour, Chrom and I tumbled out of the bushes, taking in the sight of Frederick and Lissa, sitting around the amber glows of a campfire.

I was in a sour mood when we arrived back at the camp. My body was tired, my eyes were dry, and my stomach was ravished. Life was simply perfect.

"Where have you two been all this time?" Lissa fumed, crossing her arms. "We've been worried sick."

"Oh, you know, making friends with nature," I answered, taking out the bottle of eye drops from my trouser pocket.

Lissa made a displeased noise and got up from her spot. "Did you at least bring back any food?" she asked, as I poured a few drops into my eyes.

Chrom shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not, Lissa," he admitted, sitting down against a tree, wincing slightly as he did.

Lissa sighed. "Well, lucky for you, Frederick managed to get some."

My brows furrowed in confusion. "He did?"

Blinking away the excess lubricant that filled my eyes, I looked over to see Frederick stationed on a log in front of the fire, cooking up some fish.

"Where did you get those?" I asked.

"The river," he replied dryly.

I could feel my eye slightly twitching. _God, I hate this game._

Making my way over to Chrom, I sat crossed legged beside him. "I'm never hunting with you again," I said, putting my hands up near the fire, and rubbing them together.

Chrom let out a tired laugh. "Likewise."

Grinning, I closed my eyes as I enjoyed the heat and cackling sounds of the fire. The smell of wood smoke drifting through the air like incense. At the sound of approaching footsteps, I reopen my eyes.

"Here." Lissa handed us both a skewer of cooked fish as she sat down on the other side of me.

Gratefully, I accepted the food, and began devouring it like the little carnivore that I am. The fish wasn't even that great but in that moment it was the tastiest thing I had ever eaten in my life.

"Mmm…" Chrom happily moaned as he munched on his food. "It's been too long since I last had good fish. Delicious!" he exclaimed, taking another bite out of his fish. He grabbed a nearby water skin, and took a swig from it before handing it to me.

I swallowed my food. "Thanks." I grabbed it from him, chugging the water, part of it dribbling out the side of my mouth.

"Ahh…" A content sigh escaped me as I handed him back the nearly empty water skin. "Why didn't we go and spear the fish in the first place?"

Chrom just shrugged at me through a mouthful of fish.

I returned the shrug. "Oh well." I continued eating my fish when a thought struck me. _Did he and I just indirectly kiss?_ I stopped eating and glared at the prince. _That bastard…_

"Hey, Mark." Lissa poked me on the shoulder. "There's something I wanted to ask you."

"Hmm?" I turned my head to look at her. "What?"

"Well, I was wondering…" She fiddled with her hands, playing with her fingers. "Where are you from?" she asked, lifting her head up to look me in the eyes.

 _Uh oh._ I gulped down the last of my fish. _Wasn't expecting to have this conversation._

For once, maybe I should just be honest with them. I briefly considered trying to pretend to be from one of the other countries in the game: like Valm or Roseanna. The only problem with that was, I knew next to nothing about these countries. If they asked about them or I met someone familiar with the land, I would be at a complete loss as to what to say.

With a deep breathe, I began, "As I've told you, I'm not exactly from around here."

At her raised eyebrow, I continued, "I come from a desert." I held up a hand to stop the words that were about to leave her mouth. "And before you ask, no." I shook my head slightly. "I'm not from Plegia."

Lissa blinked and tilted her head to the side, a ponytail falling with it. "Then where are you from?"

"Somewhere, far away," I replied vaguely. "I am curious though, how are relationships between you and Plegia?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"Not great, I'm afraid," Chrom interjected with a sigh, taking the bait. "Plegia is constantly harassing us by sending small raiding parties into our territory, hoping to instigate a war."

Mentally, I fist pumped. _Whew! Dodged a bullet._

I knew it was a temporary solution, but I didn't know quite what to tell them yet, and a temporary solution was still a solution.

"And it's the poor townsfolk who suffer the most because of it!" Lissa lamented, eyes downcast as she held her knees to her chest. "Totally innocent, and totally helpless…"

"They do have us, milady," Frederick spoke up with an unusual gentleness and warmth in his voice. "Shepherds to protect the sheep."

I glanced at the knight, the moonlight hitting his eyes at just the right angle so they seemed almost like they were glowing. "Do not be swept up in your anger, for it will only cloud your judgment."

Lissa's lips moved into a pout, and she let out a sigh. "I know…I know…" she relented, with an unhappy nod. "Don't worry. I'll get used to all this."

"Well that's a sad thought," I commented, spinning the skewer between my hands.

"Sad? How so?" Chrom asked, perplexed.

I tossed the skewer into the flames, "That their will come a time when we grow use to the suffering of others," I said quietly, somberly as I grabbed another cooked fish from above the fire.

Lissa's pout twisted into more of a genuine frown. "I wish we never had too." A few moments later, she let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't get it." she kicked at the dirt, boot sending pebbles flying.

Chrom gave her a questioning look. "Don't get what?"

"Why do people have to fight each other?" She turned her face to his, a white oval in the moonlight, seeking his opinion.

This was something that piqued my interested. From the corner of my eyes, I starred at Chrom as I chewed on my fish, waiting to hear what his response would be.

Chrom took a while to answer. When he finally spoke, he spoke as if he were just thinking about this for the first time himself. "That's…a good question," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "Maybe people fight because they're angry. Unhappy with how the world is, and unable to agree on how to make it better."

Lissa's frowned deepened, placing her hands on her hips. "Yeah, well…maybe they'd agree on something if they stopped fighting in the first place," she countered.

Chrom smiled at her kindly. "Lissa." He got up from the ground, going over to sit down beside her. "Don't ever change." He wrapped her in a one-armed hug, holding her close to his side.

Lissa smiled, returning the hug. "I won't," she promised, resting her head against his shoulder.

The dreary moment seemed to be blown away by her dazzling smile. A smile of my own flickered on my lips as I regarded the affectionate scene. Sometimes, it was hard to recall that these people were once characters from a video game.

My smile soon vanished as an important, nagging question returned to my mind. _Should I join the Shepherds?_

At the beginning of the day, I would have accepted in a heartbeat, but after everything that had happened, I was extremely hesitant too. The more I considered what I was up against, the less appealing the proposal seemed. Fighting bandits, killing undead monsters, leading an army, and lastly, slaying a dragon.

How was I supposed to deal with all that?

I had no military experience, and my tactical knowledge consisted of what I learned from video games, history classes, and the two books on military tactics I read while bored at work.

When it came too fighting, all I knew was unarmed combat, albeit I was still a bit rusty. Besides that, I knew archery, but I hadn't done that in four years. Even if I could get my hands on a bow, the ones here were probably different than the ones I used back home.

The more I considered everything, the more my mind felt like it was at war with itself. I knew the future, and had the ability to change it for the better, and because of that, I felt like I had a moral obligation to stay and help. However, another part of me wanted to run away. If I only had somebody to talk to. Somebody to help me share this burden. But, I was alone.

"…Mark?" Chrom's voice shattered my thoughts. "You still with us?" he asked. His tone was light, but I recognized the concern in it.

Momentarily, I blinked, as I realized all three of them were staring at me.

Quickly, I donned a fake smile, and forced a laugh. "I was just thinking about how close we came to being mauled by that bear."

Lissa's eye widened. "You guys almost got mauled by a bear?" she asked, incredulously.

Chrom nodded with a wry grin. "Yes. It was quite the adventure."

"It was," I agreed, laying down on my side. "Come on, Chrom, tell her about how you girlishly screamed as you ran away from the bear."

"No way." Lissa grinned broadly, looking at Chrom who shook his head at me.

"Oh, yeah, you should have seen it." I smirked, taking another bite out of my fish. After I swallowed, I continued, "If I wasn't there to save him, he would've been bear food."

"You mean when I saved _you_ ," Chrom corrected.

I waved a dismissive hand at him. "Whatever floats your boat, mate."

"Tell me what happened," Lissa asked eagerly, scooting closer to me.

"Sure," I agreed, my response automatic.

Chrom leaned back against the tree, crossing his arms. "Oh great, here we go." Despite his words he didn't seemed too miffed, instead his eyes twinkled with good humor.

"All right then." I laid back, folding my arms behind my head. "Once upon a time, there were two idiots who walked into a forest…"

* * *

Against the cold, hard ground, I tossed and turned, staring up at the sky. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't fall asleep. After hours of trying, I couldn't take it anymore. I sat up, and tugged on my leather shoes. At some point during the night, the amber glow of the campfire had given way to darkness. No one stirred. Earlier, Chrom had assured me that we were in no danger so no one was up for night watch.

Quietly, I rose and tip-toed my way out of the camp and into the forest.

 _This is for the best,_ I thought, my eyes downcast as I walked. _I can't lead an army. I'll be out there one day, and everybody will depend on me, and I won't be able to win the battle. It's not my problem anyway. Let somebody else be their tactician. Let somebody else save the world._

 _Ah,_ said a little voice in the back of my mind, and I gritted my teeth, _but if you can't lead them, then nobody else will. Nobody else can be their tactician. If you try and lose, then it isn't your fault. But if you don't try and they lose, then it's all your fault. You killed them all. And,_ the voice added, and I swore that it had a mischievous tone, _think about all the beautiful, female Shepherds._

 _Look, that's not—wait a minute, why am I arguing with myself?_

"Not even gonna say goodbye?" A voice cut through the air like a sword.

I froze, my heart slightly racing. _Damn…_

Without turning to look, I quietly spoke, "I figured you'd still be asleep."

The soft crunching sound of grass filled the air as they approached closer. "And I figured you wouldn't."

I let out a humorless chuckle. "I was that obvious, huh?"

Glancing over my shoulder, Chrom was studying me intently. His cerulean eyes glowing in the bright moonlight as they locked onto mine. "I'm sorry, Chrom, but I can't do it," I muttered, breaking eye contact. "I can't be a Shepherd."

"So that's your answer then," he inquired, crossing his arms.

For a moment, I hesitated, then nodded. "I'm not a hero, and I'm not a warrior. I'm just…me."

Chrom frowned. "You say that as if it were a bad thing."

"Perhaps, it is." My voice was so quiet that I wasn't quite sure if he had heard me or not. Even so, I spoke clearly, "I can't lie to myself, Chrom." I turned to face him. "I can't be who you want me to be."

It was incredibly painful to admit, but that wasn't the kind of person I was. I doubt I'd ever be.

"I understand." Chrom gave me a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I won't stop you, it is your decision to make after all."

I smiled sadly. "Thank you."

As I was about to leave, Chrom spoke up again, "Are you sure I can't convince you to at least stay with us until we reach the capital tomorrow?"

I shook my head. "I appreciate the offer, but no thank you," I said. Then added, "Besides, I couldn't bear to say goodbye to Frederick, it would devastate him."

Chrom cracked a small grin. "Yes, I would think he would be a sobbing mess after you two hit it off so well." I started to hear a tiny bit of laughter in his voice.

"Exactly." My lips curved in a slight smile. "It would just be awkward for everyone."

For a moment, neither of us said anything. Until, finally, Chrom cleared his throat. "Well…goodbye, Mark." He rested his hand on my shoulder. "I wish you all the luck in the world." His expression softened, becoming a genuine smile, and he lightly squeezed my shoulder. "I truly do."

His words were so warm and gentle. But there was also an undeniable sadness in them as well.

I clapped the prince on the shoulder, smiling. "Goodbye, Chrom."

"What are you two doing?" A feminine voice called out to us in the darkness.

 _Great, now she's awake._

"Sorry, Lissa." Chrom smiled apologetically. "We didn't mean to wake you. Mark and I were-"

"Just having a discussion," I finished, shooting him a look. Chrom arched his eyebrows to me in response but said nothing.

Lissa rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, "A pretty loud discussion," she yawned, approaching closer. "What were you two even talking about?"

"Chrom wanted to know more about-" I stopped talking, suddenly alert.

Lissa blinked up at me curiously. "What's wrong?"

My eyes narrowed. "I'm not sure, I just have a bad feeling…," I trailed off, before frowning thoughtfully. I wasn't sure what it was, but a nagging voice in my head told me something was wrong. _But what?_

"You're right," Chrom murmured. "Something is wrong here…"

"Hey?" Lissa said, a look of confusion on her face as she looked around. "Where did the all birds go?"

Then I realized what my instincts had been trying to tell me.

"Oh, no," I whispered. They stared at me and I tried again to speak my voice was still shaking. "Away! We need to get away!"

As the words left my lips, the ground shook violently beneath me with enough force to send me to my knees.

A look of terror spread across Lissa's face as she let out a scream. "Aaah! Chrom!"

"Lissa, stay close!" Chrom quickly wrapped her in a protective hug, lowering them to their knees, as the quaking uprooted several trees, and sent them crashing down.

Once the initial earthquake was over, Chrom spoke, "What was that madness?!"

Shakily, I stood up. "I don't care what it was, but we need to move."

Chrom nodded his head, gently bringing Lissa up with him.

We took off in the opposite direction of the quake, trying to put as much distance between us and the cataclysm that was about to unfold.

If we had stayed any longer, we would have felt the ground crack, splitting apart and fragmenting as if god's fury was unleashed upon us. A wall of fiery liquid shot through the cracks and spewed over into the air. The wind caught the fire, and almost as soon as the golden flames struck the trees, the world became illuminated.

Around us, scorching balls of fire soared through the air, raining down indiscriminately upon the land with an explosive force that destroyed all in its wake. Giving birth to more of the fire's rage as it consumed the wildlife like a starving beast.

I could barely discern the world around me as everything blended into shades of red, orange, and yellow. Black smoke broke through the air, and penetrated my lungs, causing raspy coughs to be torn from my throat. My ears were bombarded with so many noise from every direction as I raced through the chaotic violence set upon us.

My legs ached. Never before in my life had I run so much in one day, and for so long, that my legs threatened to collapse beneath me. I weaved through the forest, dodging fire balls, and taking detours whenever the flames blocked my path. Slowly, I lost track of where we were, no longer recognizing the once beautiful forest that was now an inferno of death.

At some point, we managed to make enough distance between us and the destruction. I held my knees, panting violently, my stomach promising to send the fish I ate earlier swimming once more.

"Gods…," Chrom panted out, "…Wh-What was that madness?"

"The beginning of Hell," I said after several breaths.

"G-Guys…?" Lissa uttered.

Chrom's brows drew together in a frown. "What's wrong Lissa?"

I glanced over at her to see that she had gone pale, "What is _that_?" she asked, panic beginning to edge into her voice as she pointed toward the sky.

My gaze followed her outstretched arm, and the blood drained from my face. My eyes widened, staring starkly in horrified comprehension as a pure white light manifested into the night sky. _We're fucked._

The light imploded in upon itself, transforming and spreading out into a translucent chartreuse ring that slowly rotated in the air. Unrecognizable symbols dotted the outskirts of the ring, and within the center of it all, luminescent crystals formed into a jagged line. The crystals moved apart in the motion of an eye opening, revealing a beautiful blue orb that seemed to be looking down upon us.

The blue orb reeked of magical energy, a soft thrumming noise exuding from it. The noise steadily grew louder as the surface of the orb rippled, and a head poked out of it. The rest of the body followed soon after it, and another figure broke through the orb's surface. The two bodies plummeted to the ground with a sickening thud.

From the bushes twenty feet away from us, the figures slowly rose up. An eerily familiar crimson glow came from their eye sockets, a burning hunger in them as they looked at us. Horrible, raspy growls filled the air, along with the stench of death that mixed so pleasantly with the lingering smoke.

"Lissa," Chrom spoke resolutely, "stand behind me," he ordered, drawing Falchion from its scabbard.

I momentarily glanced at Lissa, the expression on her face looked like she was about to vomit, but she nodded and took a few tentative steps back. I followed her lead but refocused my attention back on the figures as they stumbled towards us. Gurgling roars resonated from within their throats that sent black ichor spitting out of their mouths.

They were a walking nightmare. Those _things_ wore dark leather armor, and their weapons were bronze axes. Once, they had probably been warriors of some kind. But that had been back when they were still alive. Now, they were dead, the gray flesh that barely stuck to their skin made it obviously so. They were no more than an empty shell. Monsters without a will of their own.

Risen.

In the game, they were called Risen. Undead soldiers that served the Fell Dragon. Teleported to this world from a doomed future, and it seemed that fate was taking it down that path once more.

With startling speed, a Risen charged towards us. Chrom was so shocked by the creatures, he barely had time to swing his sword before it hit him with the axe. He got his weapon up just in time, knocking the weapon to the side, and slicing through the creature's stomach.

For a moment, the Risen merely stood frozen in place, then a sickening cracking noise filled the air as it twisted its head behind its back to look at Chrom.

His eyes widened, and he brought his weapon up to block the monster's next axe swipe.

"Only a clean kill will finish them off!" I shouted.

"What do you think I just did?" Chrom snarled as he and the Risen fought against each other's blade for control. With a furious cry, he pushed his sword upward, knocking the Risen's axe backwards, and slammed the hilt of his sword into the monster, sending it sprawling to the ground.

Chrom's sword suddenly began to glow with a blue light so bright that I had to narrow my eyes against it. He plunged the blade down onto the creature's back, piercing the section of the body were the heart would have been located. A strangled growl escaped its mouth, the Risen's eyes dimming as it dispersed into a purple cloud of miasma, disappearing completely.

Beads of sweat ran down Chrom's forehead as he momentarily stayed there with his blade embedded in the ground, catching his breath.

A startled scream beside me, nearly scared me to death. Another Risen was advancing toward me and Lissa. I had been so absorbed in watching Chrom fight the Risen that I hadn't noticed the second one making its way towards us.

Faintly, I heard Chrom call out to us as I turned my head around to see we were trapped by a giant boulder, blocking our path from running. Lissa pulled out her staff from the leather bindings that held it in place on her back, trying to use it to defend us in a last ditch effort. I could sense the fear in her. Deep fear. I was weaponless, nothing more than a burden, and I realized that as I pushed the girl slightly behind me.

Throughout the entire time I had spent with these three, that's all I had ever been. I knew that. What I was doing may have been seen as selfless, but in the end it was just my selfish desire to be useful. If I couldn't kill the Risen, I could at least act as her shield, buy Chrom the time he needed to reach the Risen before it could kill her. Even if my life was forfeit, it wasn't like I had anything to live for anymore. Compared to her, my life didn't matter.

The Risen brought its axe upward, ready to strike down upon me.

It was funny how I kept seeing the same thing over and over all day. My life barely a brush away from death, merely looking for the right executioner to end it.

My mind scarcely registered the sound of boots running towards us. I could barely feel Lissa cowering behind me. I glanced back at her. She looked at me, panic evident in her eyes, the smell of fear exuded from her like a wave of sickness, choking the air. A bitter smile formed on my face, my eyes closing in acceptance. _At least, you'll be safe Lissa._

I waited for the weapon to pierce my body, instead the sound of metal clashing against metal filled the air. _God damn it game! Let me be edgy and suicidal for once._

 _And how dare you!_ I cracked open an eye. _I looked so god damn cool doing-Oh my god…_ I stopped and stared, almost giving voice to my current thoughts, _…You're beautiful._

My eyes widened to see that it wasn't Chrom who had saved my life, but a stranger wearing a butterfly mask that obscured the upper section of their face.

Their teeth gritted, and strained breathes escaped them as they stood protectively in front of us, barely holding against the pressure of the Risen's axe. Their sword was held over their shoulder, behind their back, narrowly stopping the axe from hitting them.

The stranger turned their head to the side. "Help!"

I followed their gaze to see Chrom, not much farther away from us looking dumbstruck. He nodded his head. "…Right!"

Chrom charged towards us, letting out a yell as he swung his glowing blade at the creature. The Risen turned around, relieving pressuring off the stranger's sword.

It was a mistake.

The stranger twirled around, and simultaneously, Chrom and the stranger slashed at the Risen. Their attacks mirrored one another as they struck the creature down.

Moments later, the Risen dispersed in a similar fashion as the one Chrom killed earlier.

A sigh of relief sounded beside me. I looked over to see Lissa still somewhat shaking but she looked a lot more relaxed compared to before. She lowered her staff, watching as the stranger sheathed their sword.

"Quite an entrance," Chrom remarked, a hint of mistrust in his voice. "What's your name?"

Silently, I observed Chrom as he slowly circled the figure, his sword still in hand, pointed downward in a cautionary manner. I could understand why. While I may not have seen where they'd come from, I knew that they had also fallen out of the portal. And the mask they wore didn't help relieve them of any suspicion.

The stranger looked over their shoulder at Chrom, their mouth moved to speak but no words came out as the sound of horse hooves filled the air.

"Milord! Milady! Are you alright?" Frederick's voice cried out to us. Chrom and Lissa turned their attention on to him, but I barely paid him any mind. Instead, I stare at the stranger.

"Hey-" was all I could manage before the stranger took off running into the forest which swallowed them as the ocean engulfs a tossed pebble.

Mentally, I cursed. _All right…this is really starting to PISS ME OFF!_

I was angry at Frederick for intruding. I was angry at the stranger for running. I was angry at the World for forcing me to stay here. Most of all, I was furious beyond belief at myself. Twice, I had screwed up. The first was the town, and now this. I've been so focused on myself, that I completely ignored the events that were happening around me.

My face twisted into a scowl. _What's the point of knowing the future if you keep letting all these things happen?!_

"Thank Mark-" my ears perked up at the mention of my new name, "-and the masked man who saved us!" Lissa grinned. "If he hadn't been here, Mark and I'd be…" She looked around in confusion. "…Hey, where did he go?"

"Long gone," I remarked bitterly. I was annoyed, far more then I should have been, and nothing good would come from it. Taking a deep breathe to calm myself, I got my voice under control. "We have more pressing matters to attend to now."

Frederick nodded. "Yes, we can worry about him later. In the meantime-"

"Hold on," I interrupted.

"What is it?" Chrom stepped beside me.

I pointed. He followed my gaze, to see the orb still suspended in the sky, but the thrumming noise was coming from it once more. This time, louder.

My eyes widened. "Son of ahh…!"

The orb rippled to life, and more bodies streamed out of it. Hundreds of Risen fell like a torrential downpour: unwelcome and unstoppable.

Fear suddenly shot through me and I grabbed Lissa by the arm. "Frederick, get her out of here!"

Frederick glanced at me confused, then his eyes widened in horror at the sight of the Risen. "Right away."

Chrom grimaced. "What's the plan?"

I shook my head, dispelling the fear that clung to me. "Freddy, are there any forts around here?"

Without even looking, I knew he was already giving me a displeased look. "…There is one to the east of us," he finally answered.

"Meet us there," I ordered.

Frederick wordlessly nodded, helping Lissa onto the horse.

"Be careful you two." She almost whispered the words, looking terrified and worried.

Chrom gave her a shaky grin. "We'll be fine."

Frederick spurred his horse forward, and they rode towards the fortress.

I looked over my shoulder in the direction of the Risen. Numerous sets of crimson blinked to life as horrific cries reverberated in to the night sky. The monsters shuffled towards us in their unmistakable gait, closing the distance.

A chill ran down my spine. "Chrom, you good to run?"

Chrom ran a hand through his sweat-stiff cobalt hair. "Yeah," he murmured, glancing back at the Risen, then shot me a tremulous smile. "Think you can keep up?"

Even in the midst of the horror, the question made me grin. "Funny. I was about to ask you the same thing."

We didn't waste any more breathe on idle banter, instead we booked it. Both of us sprinting through the forest in hopes of outrunning these monsters.

Our pace wasn't the fastest but we made inexorable progress towards the fort. Once we were about halfway there, a strong and clear voice, pierced through the air, "Captain Chrom!"

A surprised look passed over Chrom's face. "Sully?"

We stopped running. I stood there, trying to catch my breath, trying to stop my heart from pounding out of my chest. Turning around, panting violently, I searched for the source of the new voice.

Behind us, a women rode atop a powerful and sleek steed, rapidly galloping towards us. "Wait! I'm coming!" she yelled. With a thrust of her bronze lance, she pierced a nearby Risen in the face. "Take that you ash-faced freak!"

As she drew closer, I was able to discern her features better. She had messy and cropped, red hair, which helped compliment her sanguine eyes. Her white horse was armored, matching the set of red and white armor she wore. The design was vaguely similar to Fredericks but of a much lighter variation that helped show off her muscular arms. She reined in her horse next to Chrom.

"Sorry, I'm late," she apologized, flinging the black gunk of her spear.

"Perfect timing, actually," Chrom replied, grinning.

Sully cocked her head to me. "Who's he?"

I shot her a quick smiled. "I'm Mark. Pleasure to meet you," I spoke hurriedly. "Now that that's out of the way, let's go!"

The world didn't feel like agreeing with me in that moment, for a man jogged over to us. "Milady, please wait...," he panted.

Sully furrowed her brow, glancing over at him. "Muh?"

The best way I could describe the man was: a dandy. He was a handsome young man, with straight teal hair. At first glance he was pretty charming to the eyes, and dressed the part of a nobleman. His sleeveless shirt was of a similar shade to his hair, and he wore another white cloth shirt beneath it. His boots were of leather make and fastened with a buckle. His pants took on a gray color but looked rather plain in design. A bow made of iron was slung over his shoulder, and a brown quiver full of white arrows hung from his back. Overall, his sense of fashion was interesting to say the least, especially since there was something akin to a bib around his neck.

The dandy gave her a smile. "Life may be long, but attraction is fleeting!" he said in a theatrical manner. "Would you leave me in your sweet dust? Leave war to the warriors, dear bird! A beauty such as you need wage only love." He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Sully blinked at him a few times. "…Who the hell are you?!"

The man let out a laugh. "Is the lady so intrigued? Of course you are-" He flipped his teal hair to the side, "-It's only natural."

I closed my eyes, gently rubbing my forehead. _Oh my god, I hate you so much._

If I knew his character, and I did, he was going to be monologuing for a while. I glanced at Chrom. "Hop on her horse," I whispered.

Chrom frowned. "What about you?"

I shrugged. "I'll just run the rest of the way."

Chrom shook his head. "I'm not leaving you."

I let out a sigh. I should have expected this from him.

"Chrom," I said, "if you don't get on the damn horse, I am leaving you and never returning."

"Weren't you already?" he retorted, raising a brow at me.

I bit my tongue. His words…hurt. I hadn't expected them to. Guilt wracked through me, soon replaced by a surge of anger. _Do you really think so little of me?_

I forced myself to moderate my voice, to sound _reasonable._ "If you join her on the horse, you two have a better chance of killing more of those creatures then if we were to run. It'd also be better to have you get to the fort as quickly as possible to make sure the others are safe."

The prince stayed silent for a few moments then let out a curse. "Fine," he relented, "I'll meet you there."

Chrom took two steps when he stopped. "Hey!" he called out, looking over his shoulder at me. "Be careful."

"Where's the fun in that?" I shot back with a smile. "Now, go!" I demanded, giving him a light shove. "I'll be fine."

While Chrom hopped up on the back of the horse, I tuned the dandy back in. "I am he who strides large across history's greatest stage! The man who put's the "arch" in "archer"!" he exclaimed, holding a fist over his heart. "My name, my dear lady, is Vi-"

Sully shook her head in exasperation. "Sorry, Ruffles-no time for this." She snapped the horse's reins. "Onward!"

Her horse took off in a gallop, heading down the path towards the fort, leaving me and a gawking archer in their wake.

Finally the man was broken from his stupor. "W-wait! Where are you going?" he cried. "Pray, at least tell me your name!" he called after her.

When no answer came, a rather dejected look settled on his face.

I rolled my eyes, and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Come on Archie," I said, while internally groaning at the idea of running again. "You can sweet talk her later."

"Archie?" He twisted his head to look at me, looking almost indignant. "My name is Virion."

"Whatever you say, Archie," I replied with a crooked smile.

Through sheer will, I summoned more energy, and took off running. I weaved my way around trees, and hopped over pesky roots that thought they could trip me. _Not today!_

Virion soon overtook me, and on any normal day I would have probably been able to outrun him, but after the strain I had put on my legs all day, I was exerting myself so hard my breaths came in gasps. There was no way I was catching up to him.

Running up the base of the hill to the fort, I looked over my shoulder to see some of the Risen had branched off, chasing after us. There were probably no more than a dozen of them, including their leader. I assumed it would be easy to defeat them all. It was in the game. However, this wasn't the game anymore. Just because it was easy there, didn't mean it would be easy here.

A whizzing sound filled the air as an arrow barely flew over my head. Seconds later a guttural cry of pain sounding not far behind me. _That was a bit too close._

Reaching the fort, I was shaking and gasping. My hands clasped my knees as I tried catching my breath. "…Nice shot."

Virion stood at the entrance, panting slightly. He lifted his sleek bow, drew, and took aim. His lips curved into a smile. "Twas a thing of beauty," he boasted. "As is this."

He released the arrow. My eyes followed the projectile to see it thud into the forehead of a Risen, the monster disappeared.

 _Impressive,_ I mused. _I'll have to ask him for some archery training later._

Stumbling the rest of the way into the fortress. My feet finally gave way as I slid my back down against the stone wall. Virion followed in behind me, and once inside, a harsh metallic squel sound. I looked over to see Frederick turning the mechanism for a portcullis. A few seconds later it slammed down into the dirt-fully closing the Risen off from us.

"Mark, you made it!" Lissa cheerfully called out.

Both she and Chrom jogged over to me. Frederick following slowly behind them, apparently in no rush to greet me and confess his undying love for me.

"Hey, everyone," I rasped out the words.

Chrom gave me a relieved smile. "Glad to see you could finally join us."

"I like to make you wait," I said, a strained smile spreading across my lips.

My gaze flickered to Virion as I addressed him. "Can you go to one of the arrow loops and shoot down any of those things that get too close?"

Virion nodded. "Of course. My every shot will be a saga in the making! Ladies shall swoon at the-"

"Just go already!" I snapped impatiently. A couple of painful coughs escaped me a moment later. My mouth feeling as dry as sand.

Virion huffed, and grumbled to himself as he left to take up his position.

Lissa crouched down beside me. "Drink this." She held out a vulnerary. "It'll make you feel better."

Nodding, I shakily took the vial, and struggled to pop off the cork. When I couldn't, Lissa gave me a "give it here gesture," with her hand. Reluctantly, I handed her back the vial and she easily pulled off the cork.

I caught Sully shaking her head at me in disapproval. Barely hearing her mutter, "Wimp."

A muscle twitched near my eye. "I'm tired, okay!"

"Are you going to be alright?" Chrom looked at me with concern. "You've been through quite a lot."

"I'm just being a little bitch. I'll be fine," I murmured, pressing the vial against my lips.

The vulnerary had a fruity flavor to it. Something between a health drink and a smoothie kind of taste. It wasn't unpleasant but not something I would drink for fun. Give me a few weeks, and I would probably get use to the taste.

It only took a few moments for the potion to start taking affect. My exhaustion slowly fading away, being replaced by a new surge of energy, and the dry, roughness in my throat was now gone.

"Hey, Chrom?" Sully spoke up, leaning down to rub the side of her horse's neck in an affectionate manner. "This the same guy you said pissed his pants?"

I choked on my drink, and immediately started coughing as the liquid went down the wrong pipe. Once I recovered, I tilted my head to the side, giving Chrom a death glare.

Chrom shrunk back from the glare. "Ah well that's-you see-umm…"

"You didn't even tell her about my badass shovel skills?!" I shouted, my voice no longer sounding thick and hoarse.

Chrom's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wait…that's what you're mad about?"

"I will end you!" I yelled, moving to stand back up, but only made it a few inches before I fell back down. "Later…"

Frederick scoffed. "This is no time to be fooling around you two," he chided.

Chrom and I dipped ours head. "Sorry," we apologized in unison.

"What do we do now?" Lissa inquired, her eyes worriedly fixated on the gate.

I shot Chrom a look that said: _We'll talk about this later._

Taking a deep breathe, I straightened up. "Is everyone here?"

Frederick nodded. "Everyone is accounted for, including our masked friend."

I raised an eyebrow. "Masked friend?"

Frederick moved to the side, revealing the stranger from earlier. He were standing a bit away from us, arms crossed.

"He's agreed to help us take care of these things," Chrom added, the playfulness gone from his voice, replaced by a seriousness in his tone.

"Does _he,_ have a name?" I asked, pitching my voice so that it carried clearly across the fort to the stranger.

The others turned their heads to look at him. He seemed to examine me warily, and I couldn't shake the feeling that he wanted to stab me, and not in the sexual way.

The stranger hesitated. "You may call me Marth," he answered. This was my first time fully hearing his voice and it sounded like he was trying to make it deeper than it actually was.

On closer inspection, he was a remarkably attractive and beautiful young man that looked to be in his mid-teens. He wore an ornate midnight blue butterfly mask, lined with gold trimmings. Briefly, I wondered how he could see out of it until I noticed the small slits for the eyes. His armor was a deep ultramarine that melted into the night. A golden tiara was transfixed atop his cobalt hair, and a regal blue cape lightly fluttered behind him in the cold breeze. Despite the aloof air that exuded from him, his face seemed to hide a quiet grief; as if he were looking at the spirit of a deceased loved one.

"Marth?" Chrom repeated in surprise. "After the heroic king of old?"

Marth looked away. I could tell that he was holding something back-something he desperately wanted to say.

"We can worry about introductions later," Frederick said, his jaw set with determination. "After we put these things to the blade."

Even though Frederick was right, I was still annoyed that I couldn't talk with Marth. Both of us were hiding, each for a different reason. If anybody in this world could understand how I felt, it would be him. And while I realized the truth behind his charade, it wasn't mine to reveal, not yet at least. I would continue to play along for a little while longer.

My mind drifted back to the immediate problem: the Risen outside the fortress. Suddenly my mouth felt parched, either from fear or anticipation for what was to come. Quickly, I downed the rest of the Vulnerary.

Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, I looked to Chrom. "May I issue orders?"

Chrom smiled and nodded. "By all means," he said, "If you have any ideas on how to deal with these things, I'll gladly hear you out."

 _You can do this,_ I told myself.

Forcing on a smile, I clapped my hands together. "Okay…I've got a plan."


	4. Chapter 3 - Bloom

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the exceedingly long wait. This chapter was originally fifty pages long, but the person who helps me edits suggested that I start writing shorter chapters from now on. I will be posting the next couple of chapters periodically through the week. Lastly, I hope you enjoy!

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While the others were fighting, I began nervously pacing on top of the battlements. This feeling of helplessness ate at me, right in the core of my stomach. I hated sitting around doing nothing while others worked, and it irked me knowing that there was nothing I could do.

I stopped my frantic pacing and leaned forward against one of the parapets, scanning the land below. Under different circumstances, I might've been able to enjoy the view. To the left of me, I could still see the smoke rising through the air in the distance; the brightness of the flames still illuminating the night. To my right, I could barely make out the fighting.

Sully was riding around, spearing Risen, using hit and run tactics while hollering insults at them like a truck-driver. Not far behind her, Frederick was charging through the horde of undead monsters with Virion riding on the back of his saddle, rapidly firing arrows at the monsters with an unexpected grace and poise. A bit further away, Chrom and Marth fought nearby one another, clearing out any of the left-over stragglers.

Overall, they were making quick work of the Risen.

It was interesting to watch. The Risen were nothing more than corpses, jerking around like little marionettes, reanimated by that twisted dragon. Whenever one fell it was like seeing the strings being cut off of a puppet. What was strange though was that some of the Risen looked more mummified than decayed. A few of them even looked more like skeletons than actual people. I guess their appearance depended more on how long they had been dead. However, something felt off about the Risen. They were fighting with a level of intelligence that I wasn't quite expecting from them.

My eyes roamed through the area looking for any sign of the Risen Chieftain that was the boss for this level. I assumed he would be the one controlling these things, but he was nowhere to be seen. After a moment, I shrugged and stepped away from the parapet, making my way toward the staircase that lead back down to the ground level of the fort.

 _They probably already killed it,_ I reasoned.

If that was the case though, I would have to start planning ahead on how to deal with these creatures if their fighting became too unpredictable.

I paused on the middle of the staircase, and laughed at myself. _Why plan for something you're not even going to be around to deal with?_

Continuing down the rest of the stairs, I went over to the outdoor forge that had long since been abandoned. It was amazing to actually see one up close, to be able to look at all the different equipment they might have used to create weapons. There was an anvil, tongs, punches, drifts, molds, and chisels that were all left behind here. They were either laid out on tables and shelves or discarded on the ground. It made me wonder why they would leave all this perfectly good equipment behind.

What probably surprised me more was that the whole fort was abandoned. Cracks were visible along many of the stone walls, and ivy grew upon them. Some of the stables here were even missing parts of their roofs. It wouldn't take that long to repair the fort and it was located in a rather strategic position, leaving me to wonder why it would be abandoned in the first place.

My eyes drifted over to some of the weapons and metal pieces that remained on a wooden table. I picked up a few axes and swords that were still dulled down from overuse or poor maintenance. Some of the others seemed like they had never been swung before. One sword in particular caught my eye.

I reached out, grabbing the sword by the hilt, and held it out in front of me. The steel blade glinted beneath the moonlight; and I turned the weapon over in my hand, appraising the craftsmanship of the weapon. The blue wrap of the grip fit easily in my hand and had a good balance to it. I traced the smidgen of gold on the pommel, working my way up to the cross-guard, my fingers lingering on the quaint, red stone transfixed in the center of the rain guard. It was a rather basic looking sword, but it felt perfect for me.

Pinching the folds of my tunic together, I cleaned off some of the dust that clung longingly to the blade. I brushed the section of my tunic off afterward and smiled down at the sword.

 _Might as well take it,_ I thought. _It isn't like anyone is going to miss it._

I searched around for a scabbard that could hold my new weapon. Removing one of the bronze swords from a leather scabbard, I replaced it with my new one. For the time being, it looked like I would have to carry the weapon around in my hands until I could find a belt to secure it to my waist. Wasn't too big of a deal, slightly annoying, but there wasn't anything I could do about it.

The sound of somebody rummaging through crates caught my attention. I looked over to see Lissa not much farther away from me, sorting through them. She and I were the only ones remaining in the fort, the only people who couldn't fight. And just like me, she was snooping around through the old remains of this place.

I walked over to her and propped my sword against a stone wall. "How are you holding up?"

Lissa looked up. "I'm as fit as a fiddle," she replied with a small smile, then went back to her rummaging. "Why?"

I shrugged and leaned my shoulder against the wall beside her. "Just wanted to see how you're doing."

Her smile slightly widened. "…It's sweet of you to ask." a moment later the rummaging stopped entirely, and Lissa turned away from the crate. "How are you doing?"

"Me?" I cocked my head a little to the side. "I'm feeling fine."

"Okay…," Lissa paused for a moment before saying, "you just sorta seem…upset."

I jolted slightly in surprise. I wasn't expecting her to pick up on that. Usually it was a lot harder for people to read me.

"Well I'm uh-" I shook my head and gave her a fake smile. "It doesn't really matter."

"It does to me," Lissa insisted.

She spoke those words so genuinely that it made me laugh a little.

A second later, I let out a soft sigh. "Well…I'm a bit worried," I admitted, my gaze briefly lingered on the entrance of the fort.

"About what?" Lissa frowned in confusion. "The others?"

I nodded quietly in response.

Lissa's expression softened. She walked over and mimicked me, leaning against the wall. "I am too."

After a moment, I laughed again quietly, this time in defeat. "I feel like such a burden around you guys."

"How come?" Lissa asked, tilting her head to the side in her usual adorable manner.

"Compared to all of you, I can't do anything," I said, a hint of bitterness in my tone.

Lissa simply blinked at me and shook her head. "What are you talking about? You're incredible!"

I gave her a halfhearted-smile. "Thanks, but I know I'm not."

"But you are," Lissa protested, and started counting off on her fingers. "You saved: Chrom, Frederick, those villagers, and _me_."

"That last one was Marth," I corrected.

Lissa rolled her eyes. "That's not the point. The point is, you're a hero." she gently jabbed me in the chest with her finger. "And just because you aren't fighting right now doesn't mean you're a burden."

"Then what does it make me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Lissa blinked, completely taken aback by the question. "Well, it makes you…Um…"

"A coward," I finished for her.

Lissa frowned slightly. "You know that's not what I meant." She let out a small huff and crossed her arms. "Besides, I'm not fighting either."

"At least you can heal people," I countered. "I can't do that. All I've done so far is mess everything up."

"How have you messed everything up?" Lissa asked, perplexed.

 _If you knew the truth, you'd understand._

"Those Bandits weren't your fault, and neither were those…" Lissa momentarily shivered, " _things,_ "she said at last.

 _I still could've helped prevent all this…_

"I know how you feel though," Lissa confessed, very unlike her usual chipper self. Her eyes were timid and sad. "When I compare myself to Chrom and Emmeryn, I…I feel like dead weight," she said in a voice that was almost…small.

Lissa fell silent, her eyes falling to the ground, and for a long moment, I wondered if it would have been better to never have said anything at all. Maybe it's just better for me to continue hiding my fears and weaknesses behind a veil of jocularity.

This was all my fault.

Seeing her like this, I hated to think she doubted herself so much, but I could understand where she was coming from. I also had an older brother and sister, so I could relate on a personal level with her feelings of inadequacy. However, unlike her, that wasn't a problem I had to deal with any longer. After all, they weren't around anymore.

I waited a moment longer to see if she had anything else to say, but she remained silent.

I was never great with words…

But I had to say something to make this right.

"I think you're pretty amazing…" I remarked, quietly.

Instantly, her eyes shot up from the ground to meet mine, and I had to resist the urge not to say anything.

Letting out a sigh, I placed both my hands on her shoulders, forcing her to listen. "Have you ever heard the expression, 'A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms'."

"If I'm like a flower, I'm unable to bloom…" she said in a thin, wavering voice. "Just a bothersome person…"

"How could you possibly think that?!" I shouted. "You say you're dead weight, and nothing more than a bothersome person? The girl I know has been anything but that! You're still young, Lissa. You still have plenty of time to bloom."

Lissa's eyes held a tinge of moisture and uncertainty to them. "Mark I-"

"No listen!" I said, cutting her off. "I know I've only been with you guys for a day but…I don't know." I tried to piece the words together, trying my best to make her understand how incredible she was. "I always thought you were nice, caring, and talented. Since we've met, you've always been so kind to me. It made me want to be your friend."

I gave her a broad and earnest smile. "You're one of the coolest people I've ever met, and it makes me want to know more things about you, your likes and dislikes. I-I don't think you're dead weight, or that you should try to be like anyone other than yourself. Not at all. Because I think you're perfect just the way you are!"

Lissa was tense under my hands. Tears welled up in her eyes, as she looked up at me in shock, but I went on. "Don't doubt your value, Lissa," I said, softly, "for you are worth far more than you can ever imagine."

My smile twisted into a smirk. "And to quote a girl I know, 'You're incredible!'."

Lissa let out a small giggle, a tear slowly making its way down her cheek. "Thank you," she sniffled.

"No," I said with a slight shake of my head, "thank you."

I let my hands drop to my side and steeled myself to help slow the nervous pounding in my chest. "There's no need to hurry up and bloom, if the flower doesn't produce a nice color and smell, then what's the point? So don't worry about being like someone else, and bloom at your own pace. Because I know you'll bloom into one of the prettiest flowers of all. And if others can't see how beautiful of a person you are, then the fault lies with them, not you," I said, smiling again. "So please, turn that frown upside down, and show me that beautiful smile of yours."

The words were out of my mouth before I'd even realized I said them.

Lissa's cheeks were almost as pink as peaches, and she smiled at me rather shyly. "You sure know how to sweet talk a lady, don't you?"

A surge of embarrassment shot through me as I took a step back from her, my face going flush. "Uuuh-I-I-"

Lissa's soft laughter cut me off. I stole a glance at her and her eyes twinkled. "I'm just teasing you," she said, giving me a playful wink.

"I-Uh," I didn't know how to recover from this, and before I could she did something truly unexpected. She reached out and hugged me.

I jumped a little in surprise, but after a moment, I slowly returned it. The hug was warm and comfortable. It didn't feel awkward like I had expected it too. Just nice.

"Thank you…" Lissa said quietly, her voice sounding slightly hoarse. A second later she pulled away from me. The smile that crossed her lips was soft and warm, making my breath slightly catch.

I nodded in response, deciding to not say anything, just smiling.

The best way I could describe her eyes in that moment was…shining. Those grayish-green orbs were bright, and expressive. That was just how she was. A very expressive person. Whenever she arched her eyebrows or set her lips in a particular way, it helped convey her feelings entirely. It wasn't hard to understand how she felt most of the time, and what she felt right now was very clear.

She was moved, overwhelmed, and grateful.

There was also something else there that I couldn't quite place. An emotion that I don't think I've ever seen before.

"Is this a bad time?" A voice that unmistakably belonged to Chrom called out, a teasing lilt in his voice. "I wanted to let you know the fighting's over, but perhaps I should come back later."

Instantly, we sprang apart from one another. My heart was beating so fast, I thought I was about to have a heart attack. Chrom was standing at the entrance of the fort, arms crossed, a broad grin on his face. _How long has he been standing there?_ I wondered.

My checks were burning. It felt like I had been caught in a searchlight, I froze, unable to think of anything to say. When I glanced at Lissa, she wasn't faring much better. She opened her mouth, looking somewhat startled, and slightly humiliated. "Chrom, you big jerk-face! Don't scare me like that!"

Lissa strode over to her older brother, pulled the staff off her back, and Chrom immediately tried to apologize. A whooshing sound filled the air as Chrom desperately tried to dodge Lissa's frantic swipes at him. Laughter escaped me as Lissa chased her brother around the fort as he shouted out apologies through bouts of laughter.

When my own laughter died down, I couldn't help but watch them with an amusing smile. "These two really are close…," I said softly.

A pang of sadness shot through me. _I wonder what that's like?_

After a while, the two siblings eventually calmed down. Chrom rubbed the top of his head, a rueful smile on his face as he exchanged a few words with Lissa. Then, Chrom walked towards the entrance of the fort and Lissa followed after him. I watched them, unsure if I should follow or not.

"Mark? What're you doing?" Lissa turned and gave me a puzzled look. Chrom stopped as well, turning to face me.

"Aren't you coming?" he asked.

 _I guess I can stick around for a bit longer,_ I thought to myself. I knew that I was just prolonging the inevitable, but I like being with them.

"I'm coming," I called out, a small smile on my face as I grabbed my sword and jogged to catch up to them.

Before long, Lissa and I were walking side by side, the young girl level with my shoulders.

She was smiling merrily as she walked, humming a tune I didn't recognize. Still, I didn't have to recognize it. She was happy. That was enough.

"Hey, Mark."

Chrom's familiar voice carried over to me in the night air.

I looked over my shoulder. He was walking a bit further behind us, and signaled me with his head that he wanted to talk about something.

My pace slowed until he was walking beside me. "What's up?" I asked, nonchalantly.

Chrom took a moment, seeming to gather his thoughts before speaking, "You said you don't remember how you arrived here or where your injuries came from, right?"

I turned my head slightly towards him, giving him a skeptical look. "Yeah…" I responded slowly.

"…I was wondering," Chrom said after a brief moment of hesitation, "why that is?"

I forced on a neutral expression. "I don't remember."

"Nothing?" Chrom asked, rubbing his chin in a thoughtful manner.

I didn't respond. Instead, I allowed the silence to answer for me. The more I talked, the more concerned I was about giving myself away. The man could be dense at times, and too trusting for his own good, but he wasn't an idiot. However, I was probably being a bit paranoid. It wasn't like anyone could guess that I was from another world. I needed to relax more, I was overthinking things.

"You mentioned earlier you're from a desert," Chrom said.

Mentally, I cursed. _Why are you so damn curious?_

Instead I answered in an even tone, "I did."

"Which one?" he inquired.

I sighed, my grip gradually tensing around my sheath. "Does it really matter?"

"It's just…" Chrom began in a seemingly certain voice yet cut himself off and rethought. Finally, he settled on the something. "I would like to help you get back home."

I walked a few more steps and wiped the sweat off my palms. "Why?"

"Don't you wanna go back?" he asked.

"No, that's not what I meant," I stopped so I could properly look at him. "Why do _you_ want to help me?"

Chrom stopped as well. He stood there, appearing lost in thought as he tilted his head to the sky. "Because you're lost…" he answered, and then gave me a sincere smile, "…and you're my friend."

The cobalt-haired young man looked at me with an unclouded gaze. Not a single negative emotion resided in his cerulean eyes.

In other words, Chrom was being completely serious.

I stared at him, a little bit in awe. Chrom owed me nothing and had already helped me numerous times. I had even turned down his offer of employment. The mere fact that he still felt compelled to help me, proved even more of how great of a man he was-one worthy of respect. _Chrom, you are so much better of a man than I am or will ever be. I'm glad I got the chance to meet you._

I felt like if he wasn't a guy, I'd have been confessing feelings to him immediately and no doubt, quickly be reject.

"Be still my beating heart." I murmured, patting my chest.

"Come again?" Chrom asked, sending me a dubious look.

Hastily, I cleared my throat and scratched my cheek. "T-that's your reason for wanting to help?"

Chrom gave a tiny shrug and replied, "Isn't that enough?"

A sigh of admirationescaped me. _Do these people just have unlimited kindness?_

"Chrom…You're really something else," I said, shaking my head with a smile.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Chrom replied, an irritating smirk on his face.

 _All right, now I just want to punch you._

We started walking again in a relaxed pace, and my smile soon faded.

I was struck by the realization that Chrom was just as much of a fool as me. Chrom's fault lies in the fact that he was willing to trust everyone, while mine was the fault of trusting no one. The former was worthier while the latter was the safer of the two.

How could I call this man my friend when I did not trust him as I trust myself?

While I was comfortable around him, and even capable of cracking a few jokes with him, I wasn't his friend. Not a real one anyways.

If I had one regret since I came to this world, it was failing to sufficiently grasp the full force of his friendship.

After everything he had done for me, I knew only hatred in my heart for myself.

In this moment, I vowed, I would tell him everything I knew. I made no promise with myself of becoming a Shepherd, but I would share all I could of my knowledge of the future. Allowing myself, for once in my life, to open up to another, I could manage to do so if it was him.

We hadn't gone very far, but it felt like we'd been walking for a very long time.

When we approached the base of the hill, I finally made up my mind to speak. "Chrom, there's something I need to tell you-"

"Milord!"

The sound of Frederick's voice grabbed our attention. The knight trotted over, stopping beside us.

"Sorry, Mark." Chrom gave me an apologetic look. "We can talk more later," he said, turning to Frederick.

I opened my mouth to protest, but Frederick said, "We have finished vanquishing all the creatures in the immediate area, but I'm still concerned for the capital. With all due haste, we should make our way there and warn them."

Chrom nodded with a grim and determined look on his face. "I agree. We need to know if they've been hit by this chaos, and if not, be prepared to deal with this threat."

While they continued to discuss more on the Risen situation, my focus drifted over to Virion as he tried to dismount off the back of Frederick's horse.

The nobleman let out a yelp of surprise as he tumbled off the horse and hit the ground with a gracefulness befitting of a man of his class.

I could only lightly chuckle as I watched him brush himself off and walk over to Sully, attempting to woo her with his exquisite charm. From the cries of pain that came from the poor man as she repeatedly kicked him, it made me think it was going rather well.

"Um, I never got to thank you…for before." The sound of Lissa's voice caught my attention.

I glanced over to the left to see her walking up to Marth. The swordsman was fidgeting uncomfortably the closer the girl got to him.

Lissa had a bashful look on her face as she twiddled her thumbs. "So…thank you," she said softly. "You were very brave."

Marth gave her a stiff nod in response.

It was at that moment, Chrom decided to come over. "I would also like to thank you for risking your life to save my sister," he said, flashing that award-winning smile of his, and after a moment, stretched out his hand, with a "pleased to meet you" intention. "My name is Chrom."

Marth shuffled in what looked to be uncertainty, making no indication of taking the proffered hand.

After a minute, Chrom's smile slightly faltered, and he cleared his throat. "Where did you learn your way with a sword?" he asked, lowering his hand to his side. "You're fighting is rather impressive."

"I'm not here to talk about me," Marth abruptly stated, backing away slowly from the prince. "This world teeters at the brink of a horrible calamity. What you saw tonight was but a prelude."

Marth turned around and took a few steps toward the forest. He stopped after a moment to look over his shoulder, fixing his gaze onto Chrom, "You have been warned."

"Huh?" Lissa blinked in confusion. "What's teetering where now?"

Before she could get an answer, Marth sprinted away from us. His form melting away into the forest.

"Hey, wait!" Lissa shouted.

 _Oh, hell no!_ I thought.

In a matter of seconds, I was chasing after him.

 _I've waited too long to talk with you!_

"Mark," Lissa called after me, "where are you going?!"

"I'll be right back, I promise," I yelled, ignoring the clawing branches that scraped at my face and clung to my cloak, and blindly forced my way into the foliage.

I had no idea where I was going, only my urge to find the Marth guided my feet. I stumbled over roots that jutted unevenly out of the ground and bounced off solid tree trunks that kept springing out of nowhere.

A thought sparked in my brain: _If I found Marth, what would I say? How much should I say?_ But those thoughts didn't matter; didn't change the immediacy of my needs.

The woods were completely disorienting. I could have been running in circles or in the complete opposite direction of the person I was pursing, for all I knew.

The further I went, the more doubtful my mind became. _Did he already get away?_

There was a blur of movement from the corner of my eye. My head whipped around in time to see something black. Before I could discern what it was, I felt something thick and strong hit me in the waist with the force of a battering ram.

My vision spun wildly, the air rushing out of me as I was sent careening through the air, ten feet back. I was like a ball struck by a bat.

I hit the ground hard, and rolled a couple times.

Pain coursed through my body as it finally came to rest. I laid flat on my back, my limbs splayed out, and the night sky laughing down at me. I worked to breathe, choking and coughing through water-filled eyes. _WHAT THE FUCK?!_

The once silent forest was now filled with a terrible roaring sound, as a monster stood at the edge of the clearing. The thing was easily seven feet tall. His arms and legs bulged with biceps and triceps underneath his vein-webbed skin. A huge black mane of hair flowed down his head. He wore no clothes except for a loin cloth. And, thank Naga, for that small blessing. I wasn't ready to feel inferior in size to a dead guy.

The monster was obviously the Risen Chieftain from this chapter in the game. My entire body shook with fear as I gaped at the vile thing as it let loose another bloodcurdling roar.

 _SERIOUSLY?!_ my mind screamed.


	5. Chapter 4 - A Meeting of Foreseers

My entire body trembled on the ground as I stared up into the eye sockets of a walking nightmare.

The Risen Chieftain rampaged towards me, reaching for a short axe that was nearly half my height, and swung it down in a wide arc.

A girlish shriek escaped me as I tried to roll out of the way.

I barely managed to dodge in time as the axe slammed into the ground, releasing a thunderous impact that even produced an echo. The smoke and dust it produced gusted up like an explosion.

After the dust settled, the shadow of the Risen Chieftain, axe in hand, appeared from within it.

As the great monster towered over me, a great surge of fear coursed through my body as I continued to tremble on the ground.

The sound of approaching footsteps made me drag my horrified gaze from the monster to see a blue silhouette racing towards us.

It all happened in the span of one heartbeat to the next.

Marth let out a roar that sounded thin and high compared to the earlier bellows of the monster. He brought his blade swinging up, knocking the black-tinted creature to the side. The Risen made a grunting noise, spitting ichor out of its mouth. Black flecks landed on the swordsman's face as he engaged the monster in earnest.

The sound of metal ringing on metal, echoed throughout the forest.

Though the enemy was almost twice the swordsman's size, he was managing to hold his own against the creature.

I stared gratefully up at him. However, a realization struck me as I sat their own the ground. I was once again useless. And I hated it.

My fingers clawed at the dirt. _What could I even do against a monster like that?_

 _Something. Anything,_ my mind replied.

I felt my right-hand brush against something unfamiliar, and for a moment I didn't realize what it was. I looked over to see that it was my sword. While I was running, I had completely forgotten about it-until now.

 _It must have landed next to me when I went flying,_ I mused as I reached out for it.

The sword in many ways felt perfect, as if it had been specifically made for me. I knew that wasn't the case, but I felt a connection between me and the weapon.

My grip strained against the sword handle.

I heard something.

The sound of something snapping inside of myself.

I felt the maelstrom of emotions in my heart pour out as a roar.

I was back on my feet in an instant. The scabbard that once housed my sword laid discarded on the ground. My body was already moving before my brain even realized it. The only thought going through my head as I lunged towards the Risen, using both my body, and sword as a weapon was: _FUCK THIS GAME!_

The Risen was so focused on Marth that it was completely caught off guard and my sword found its mark, plunging deep into the monster's unprotected side. Blood as black as tar seeped out of the wound and oozed down over the blade. The Risen jerked its head back, letting loose a howl of pain.

At that moment, Marth swung his sword, slicing across the monster's jugular. More blood spurted out, and the light in the creature's eyes faded. When I tugged my sword free, the monster tumbled, stone dead.

In a heartbeat. The Risen Chieftain's body was gone, dispersing into that weird purple mist.

I stared at my savior, impressed. Somehow, this swordsman had been both swift and strong enough to push the Risen away from me and trade numerous blows against it without getting a single cut.

My gaze fell to my blade as more of the Risen's blood dripped off. I shook my head in disgust and dropped the weapon. A soft moan escaped me a second later as I fell down to one knee, pale and exhausted, my hands feeling the section of my body where I had been hit. I winced as my fingers brushed against my injuries and I gently lifted up my shirt.

"Yep," I said gravely, lowering my shirt back down, "definitely going to bruise."

The feeling of cold metal being lightly pressed against my neck made me freeze. I swore softly to myself, I didn't need to look to know what it was.

"Easy now," I said calmly, raising my hands in a placating manner, "I'm not your enemy."

"Who are you?" Marth curtly asked, once more attempting to mask his voice to sound deeper.

 _Well…,_ I thought as I kneeled there, trying to catch my breath, trying to stop my heart from pounding out of my chest. _I'll give her this. She's quite the actress. She might have fooled me if I hadn't known._

A stupid thought struck me, and a foolish grin spread across my face. "Me?" I asked innocently. "My name's Mario. First name Mario, last name Mario. Mario Mario."

The sword pricked a little harder against the back of my neck, and the feeling of something warm trickling down.

My eyes widened. "O-okay, I-I'm sorry."

"Don't make me ask again," she warned, in a dangerously low voice. "Who are you?"

"I go by Mark," I answered, then rushed to add, "and that's the truth. I'm not lying, I swear."

 _For some odd reason. Saying: 'I'm not lying,' Makes it sound like I'm lying even more,_ I thought as the pressure on my neck didn't lessen, but the feeling of my head staying connected to my body gave me a glimmer of hope. Marth was silent long enough that I thought I had a chance.

"Mark?" She spoke at last. Saying my name as if it sounded somehow wrong to her.

I nodded violently, sweat beading on my forehead. "Yes," I said decisively. "Now, please just-

"Why were you following me?" she demanded, bulling right over what I was about to say.

My eye twitched. _Don't interrupt me!_

"I followed you, because I wanted to tell you…," I said, gradually turning my head so that my gaze held on Marth's face as I searched for words. "…I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Marth repeated. She looked at me with a hint of surprise, swiftly hidden. "What are you apologizing for?"

"I'm sorry, because...," I dithered for as long as I could, my mouth feeling dryer than ever, " _you_ deserved a lot more than a world of pain and a shiny sword from your father."

The girl made a choking sound. Her sword slowly rose from my neck, and for a wild moment I thought she was about to execute me. Instead, she pulled me off the ground and slammed me into a tree. I bit back a whimper as I felt the lovely tip of her sword against my throat.

"Will you _please_ stop hurting me?!"I managed through gritted teeth. My body was already hurting in a half-dozen places, I didn't need her making it worse.

I found myself under her intense scrutiny. "By what method do you know this?" she inquired, her voice becoming harsh and cold.

The dark look on Marth's face was unsettling, but looking at her up close, I never realized how much smaller she was compared to me. She gave off the air of someone who naturally stood straight, bold, and proud. I found her to be rather attractive looking. Her soft features containing both elements of youth but also mature beauty. The sad part was; I was both terrified, and turned on by her. An amazing combination really.

I stared at her, knowing that I looked foolish, feeling even more so as I tried to collect my thoughts. "How about you remove that sword from my neck," I eventually said, "and then I'll talk."

Her gaze was ice, and the tip of her blade quivered slightly. "You are in no position to be making demands."

My hands balled into fists before I unclasped them.

Dealing with this girl was like dealing with an angry cat.

An angry, cute, ornery cat.

"Then kill me," I challenged, lifting my chin and looking her straight in the eye with a steady, unyielding gaze.

Our staring contest was rather hard to maintain since I couldn't actually see her eyes through the mask but I did my best to maintain my glare, refusing to blink, as a single bead of sweat rolled down into one eye.

This was a gamble. A gamble built upon one assumption: she wouldn't strike down a weaponless opponent.

We stared at each other for what felt like ages. Finally, Marth slowly removed her sword from my neck. Her gaze never left mine as she cautiously took a few steps back.

I closed my eyes briefly in relief. I was still tense but my shoulders slowly began to relax as I lightly rubbed at my throat. _Thank god._

"Talk," Marth demanded, her baleful gaze remaining affixed to me through the slits of her mask, her sword poised to strike at me at any moment.

For a long moment, I regarded her, determining how much I wanted to say. Finally, I reached a decision. "It's… a bit complicated, I'll explain, but-" I ran a hand through my hair, "I doubt you'll believe me."

I took a long, deep breath and steadied myself. "I know who you are and why you're here… _Lucina_."

Silence reigned through the forest.

My gaze never left her as she stood their frozen. Her body taut as a bowstring, and her face registering shock that would have been almost amusing at any other time.

Slowly and carefully, I walked over to her. "I know you're from the future," I said, letting the words come as they would. "I know that you're Chrom's daughter. I know that you have the Brand of the Exalt in your left eye. I know that you have a pendant made in your mother's likeness. And, I also know that your friend, Gerome is the one who gave you that mask." I stopped moving until we faced each other. "Would you like me to go on?"

Lucina had gone a little pale. "How-?" she asked, her voice shading past bewilderment into something else. "How do you know all that?"

Part of me didn't want to answer. This was my burden, having knowledge I shouldn't possess. It was my greatest weapon and secret; mine and mine alone. Except it wasn't. It couldn't-shouldn't-be. I paused, debating on how I wanted to answer that, then met her gaze.

"Like you, I'm not supposed to be here," I said, a hint of a smile curved my lips. "I'm not from this world."

Lucina shook her head. "No," she said, her voice slightly tremoring, "that's not possible."

"It is possible because it's true," I said.

Lucina raised a doubtful eyebrow and gave me a skeptical look. "How did you end up here then?"

"I don't know," I admitted, scuffing at some leaves with my leather shoes. When Lucina said nothing, I went on, "Last night I was in my world, and when I woke up, I was somehow in this one. That's all I know."

Lucina frowned, her fingers becoming white as they clenched her sword. "You don't honestly expect me to believe that, do you?"

"I don't know what else to tell you," I said, shrugging. "That's the only answer I can give you."

"Fine," she said, grudgingly. " _But,_ if what you say is true." she kept staring at me, her brows drawn together like she was puzzled about something, "how do you know so much about me?"

"I know you because…," I paused a moment, musing, then I decided on the best answer, "in my world, the events that are unfolding here were originally told in a story. The story mentioned you and many of the people in this world. It told of how you came back in time to prevent your father's death and stop the resurrection of the Fell Dragon."

Lucina stood there, speechless, for what seemed like forever. "Were-were we able too?" she asked finally, her voice slightly catching.

Her question made me hesitate. There were multiple reasons. Many were selfish and others were more logical…to me anyways. Of course, I couldn't necessarily tell her, I didn't know the answer myself. I only played half the game, but that didn't mean I wasn't aware of how it ended, but nothing was set in stone.

I didn't reply for a while, instead stared at the grass flattened beneath my feet, feeling her inquisitive gaze on me. "I'm afraid I can't answer that question, princess, for I do not know the answer myself."

"W-what?" Lucina stammered, and if I could see her eyes in that moment they would probably be wide in confusion.

"I only know some of the future," I said with a grim smirk. "The farthest I got in the story was the beginning of the Valm war. I know all the major events that will occur from now to the start of that war. After that…anything could happen."

Lucina let out a quiet, "I see…" Then all the expression left her face, and her posture changed minutely.

I shuddered, feeling a chill run down my spine, and my body involuntarily stiffened. I got goosebumps, my every instinct warning me. Something about the way she looked right now didn't sit well with me. I sensed…danger? I almost took a step away from her despite myself.

Lucina was silent for another moment, and she slightly lowered her sword. "I believe you."

I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but she hadn't finished speaking.

" _Nevertheless_ …," she said in a startlingly calm and clear voice, raising her sword back up, "I can't simply trust you, based on that alone."

I felt those words as keenly as I had felt her blade.

When the meaning of her words began to dawn on me, I blinked. Then I frowned. _"_ Wh-what do you mean?"

Lucina spoke without so much as a shift in her facial expression, "Even if what you say is true, how do I know you're truly an ally and not an agent of Grima?"

My brows narrowed as I retorted sharply, "I'm not."

"How would I know that?" Lucina asked, her tone even firmer. "Because of your say-so?"

In response, I clenched my teeth and rubbed my face, turning away from her. After a moment, I looked back. "You're making it very difficult for me to want to help you."

"I'm sorry," Lucina replied indifferently, "but you've given me no reason to trust you."

The corners of my mouth were drawn tight with frustration. _Honestly…what a stubborn young girl._

Properly speaking, Lucina wasn't wrong. She didn't have any reason to trust me. Even with my knowledge of who she was and of the future. There was no real way for her to know if my intentions were pure. I even had the symbol of the monster that destroyed her world grafted onto my hand. It was understandable why she would be so distrustful towards me.

While I could understand her skepticism, it still annoyed the hell out of me. I was honestly, just trying to help her, and she was throwing my good will back at me. Anger, exasperation, resignation, sadness…all those feelings got jumbled together in my chest, and I worked my hardest to keep them there.

Allowing myself to be consumed by these emotions would only make things worse. I needed to keep myself composed or I would end up doing something I would regret.

Exhaling through my nostrils, I spoke in as calm and even a voice as I could manage, so as not to betray my feelings. "Fair enough," I said, removing all facial expressions. "If you don't want to trust my word, that's fine, but would you at least consider hearing out my story?"

Lucina took on a considerate look, then nodded. "Very well. I shall hear what you have to say, and refrain from passing judgement," she paused, and regarded me coolly, "for now."

I arched an eyebrow at her. _What the hell did I do to piss you off?_

Something about the way she was acting seemed wrong to me. From what I managed to grasp from the game, I thought her personality and character were amiable, and she was full of love for her mother and father. At the very least, I didn't doubt that she was a benevolent person.

So why was she so different in terms of what I had expected?

She had saved my life twice.

Where were the expectations and calculations behind her actions back then?

It was like she wanted to hate me. Wanted me to be her enemy.

She was a contradiction that I couldn't figure out. There must have been something here that I was missing. A piece of the puzzle that I didn't quite have.

So, what was it? What was I missing?

The longer I deliberated on this, the more impatient she was becoming. I had no choice, lest I wish for a Falchion to the stomach.

I took a deep breath and started recounting everything that had happened to me since I woke up in this world. I relaxed my voice, trying my best to dissolve the tense atmosphere between us. I tried tricking my mind into thinking she was an old friend of mine, and I was seeing her for the first time in forever. It was the only way to keep myself calm, and it helped alleviate the nervous tension in my body.

The more Lucina heard of my story, and of my conflicted feelings towards helping, the more her sword started to gradually lower. She never put it away, but it was some progress at the very least.

When I reached the part about Chrom and I being chased by a bear, she didn't say anything. But I could tell she was almost smiling. Almost.

I wrapped up my story at the end of the cataclysmic events-when I met her. I had to take a moment to catch my breath. Because I hadn't been pacing myself as I tried to explain the earlier events of today, I was starting to get dizzy. Even with the story over, I couldn't tell what she was thinking.

Silenced followed for a while, the memories of the past day dwindling before me like a thread that I swiftly tucked away. The desire to share my pain, and inner turmoil with her made me feel oddly good. Shame followed soon after. Opening up to people was not something I liked doing. I didn't want people to think less of me, and no doubt she probably thought I was coward. I know I did.

I chuckled softly and Lucina looked at me strangely. "Why are you laughing?"

I shook my head, rubbing my mouth as I smirked. "Nothing, just laughing at my own stupidity."

Without waiting for a response, I went over to the spot where I had dropped my sword.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lucina tense, and she raised her sword. "What do you think you're doing?" she hissed.

"Relax," I said offhandedly, crouching down and picking up my weapon, "I'm just going to wipe the blood off. If I wait any longer, it's gonna harden."

Most of the blood came off fairly easily when I wiped it through the grass, but some refused to come off; making it rather difficult for me.

While I cleaned, my mind drifted to Southtown. The more I reflected on it, the more agitated I became. I had made light of my situation back then; going around swinging a shovel or throwing apples. Acting like it was all just a game or some big joke. I didn't take the fighting or the planning serious, and people got hurt because of it.

My grip tightened around the sword. _God, I'm an idiot!_

After a moment, I closed my eyes, and sighed. _This isn't getting me anywhere._

Taking the time to self-reflect wasn't a bad thing, but doing too much of it would only lead me down a road full of self-hatred and anguish. _Learn from it,_ I thought, _but don't waste energy dwelling on what cannot be changed._

"Tell me something," I heard Lucina speak up.

I opened my eyes and tilted my head upward.

"Why do you call yourself Mark?" she asked.

My eyes slightly narrowed. _Of all the things you could have asked, and it had to be that?_

"Why do you go by Marth?" I retorted sharply.

Lucina let out a sigh of annoyance that made me chuckle drily. "I go by Mark, because it has great significance to me." I tapped my finger against the blade of my sword, and looked down at the grass. "And I would prefer if we left it at that."

I broke off the conversation with a strong tone. Lucina seemed to want to keep pressing me, but she gave up when she saw the look in my eyes.

Not wanting silence to settle over us again, I decided to shift the topic over to something that might help her feel better.

"Before I forget," I said, standing up and walking over to my sheath, "I wanted to tell you that your friends are alive."

"You know where they are?" Lucina asked, a mixture of hope and eagerness in her voice.

"Kinda," I made a so-so gesture with my hand. "If you find me a map, I can give you a vague location for most of them." I paused, sliding my sword into the sheath. "However, why should I bother helping someone who doesn't trust me?"

A mask seemed to settle over Lucina's attractive features. "What do you desire for this information?" she replied in an icy tone, her gaze now locked on me.

I briefly closed my eyes and sighed. "Sorry, that was rather unfair of me."

In a swift motion, I tossed my sword over to Lucina. The weapon flew through the air and landed by her feet with a loud clanging noise.

Lucina furrowed her eyebrows. "I do not understand?"

"I don't want to be your enemy, Lucina," I said softly, "and whether or not you ever decide to trust me is up to you, but know that I'll always trust you, no matter what."

Lucina stood there, looking both confused and slightly flustered by my statement.

"I…" Lucina kept opening her mouth, trying to say something but failed too.

"…I have no words," she finally managed to say.

I came and knelt in front of her. "Everything that happens now…is in your hands," I said, bowing my head to her. "I want to help you, but only if you'll let me."

For a few seconds, the only sound was breathing.

 _Why am I trying so hard to win her approval?_ I wondered. _It's not like I'm under any obligation to tell her anything…_

When I thought about it, she was the only person who could give me the answers I needed. She was also the only person who could possibly convince me to fight. I wanted her to give me a reason. I wanted her to help me understand everything. There was still too much I didn't know, and I hoped that since our situations were so similar, she could understand the way I felt.

I looked up after another moment, and Lucina was watching me with a peculiar expression on her face. Wary, almost guilty.

"This is the first time we've met, yet you hold a strange amount of faith in me," she said. "Where did that trust come from?"

"Mm," I began in response, closing my eyes as I thought it over. "Let's see…you've saved my life twice, you're trying to stop the world from ending, and I owe your father a debt. In other words, I have no reason not to trust you."

Lucina studied me for a long moment, then nodded, seemingly satisfied. "That answer shall suffice."

"About your friends," I cut in a moment later, standing back up. "I promise to help you locate them in a few days when you meet up with your father and his Shepherds at Regna Ferox."

For the first time since I had met her, I saw her smile. It was a sincere smile that held none of the earlier hostility I had been shown thus far. It taught me that when she smiles, her eyes relax and she gets dimples. It was rather cute, making her seem younger and more guileless.

"Thank you."

It was only two simple words, but she didn't need to say anything more to express her gratitude.

"You're welcome." I smiled warmly, my heart beat faster. My heart rate had been up pretty high for a while, and there was a strong possibility that it was irregular now.

This was bad. I wasn't thinking with the right head at the moment. I needed to get my priorities back on track.

With a quick clear of my throat, I crossed my arms and leaned my back against a nearby tree. "Now, I have a question for you," I said.

In the back of my mind, something had been nagging at me. It was what Lucina had asked me earlier. _"Why do you call yourself Mark?"_

I couldn't help but ponder the oddity of the question. It wasn't something you would ever ask a person unless you realized that the name they were using was fake.

That left me to wonder…

I wet my parched tongue, failing to form words several times before I managed to speak. "Do I exist in your future?"

With the night breeze blowing across the forest, Lucina ran a hand through her fluttering hair. "…Yes, you did," she reluctantly admitted, breaking the uneasy silence that had settled over us.

 _Oh god,_ I thought as I closed my eyes and held my temples.

Part of me was hoping that I hadn't, but I knew it was too good to be true. Endeavoring to keep my face as blank as new snow while my heart hammered underneath my tunic, I looked at Lucina and met her gaze.

"What name did I go by in your future?"

Lucina didn't answer for a very long time. "You were known as Robin," she said finally.

I cringed upon hearing the name, and my throat constricted painfully, as if there were a large rock I was trying to swallow.

I was Robin.

It was ridiculous of course. Me? The one who went around swinging shovels? The one who got Frederick injured? The one who couldn't even wield a sword or use magic? I had never taken the idea of me being Robin seriously.

And now I was supposed to be a tactician? I was to lead armies and people into battle?

Frankly, it never occurred to me that I would be in her future, much less be Robin. I looked down at my left hand, before clenching it. The evidence was right there before me the whole time, but I merely chose to ignore it. By pretending it wasn't there, I was just running away from the truth.

"How could I be so blind?" I whispered, shaking my head.

For a moment I stood there, contemplating everything, when a realization struck me. If I was supposed to be Robin, then why didn't I wake up with their bronze sword or lightning tome? I wasn't even wearing their trademark cloak, though I wish I was.

The more I thought about my current situation, the less sense it made to me. I came to this world wearing my normal clothes, and I was still lugging around things from my world. How could I be from her future, and also be Robin?

I scrubbed my hands over my face. "Gah! This is to damn confusing!" I muttered, taking a seat on a nearby log.

Lucina looked at me anxiously. "A-are you alright?"

"Just peachy," I replied, my voice sharper than I wanted. I saw her flinch out of the corner of my eye. After a moment, I sighed, running a hand over my face and into my hair. "Forgive me, I have a lot on my mind at the moment."

Ever since I'd told Lucina about her friends, she was acting different. I wasn't sure if it was because of that, but her violent temperament from earlier was all but gone, and she was resolutely silent.

I pressed my palm to my forehead. I didn't know what to do with the princess standing before me. Confounded, several times I opened my mouth as if to say something.

But in the end, I said nothing.

Instead, I craned my neck up, an expression of melancholy forming on my face as the moon-top gingerly lay atop my visage. My eyes took it all in: a dark, ebony blanket of sky that glittered with specks of stars.

Every night, I would take a walk to help clear my mind, but rarely would I ever look to the stars. It was funny how much I took them for granted, but I don't think I truly realized how beautiful they were until now. Was it the same night sky my friends and family saw? Or was it an entirely different one?

I let my head drop and took the phone out of my pocket. I typed in my passcode, and ran through all the pictures I had, and then went through my contact list. So many names and faces I would never see again.

One after another, the precious memories of all the time I spent with these people came back to me, now almost like ghosts.

What did I have left? This device with a limited lifespan, and memories that would one day fade away.

"…Rob-" Lucina almost said but seemed to correct herself. "Mark?"

"What?" I asked, looking up from my device.

"You're crying," she said, a bit gently.

Frowning, I rubbed my hand across my cheeks.

 _How odd…,_ I thought, as my fingers came away wet. _I guess I am crying…_

I raised my chin, trying to force out the hoarseness. "I'm fine," I said, putting on a smile for her that was as transparent as glass.

Deep down though, I wasn't fine. I was… _Broken_ …

There was something broken about me as a person.

After almost being killed numerous times today, and with the sudden loss of everyone from my world, my mental state was spiraling out of control to the point where I was taking my own life too lightly.

But by surrendering oneself to death, wasn't that the only way to survive in this world, to become indifferent to death? Wasn't that the only way to move forward, to shield my mind from the misfortune around me, and do what was necessary to survive?

Or was that no different than taking my own life for granted?

As my mind debated with itself, my grip around my phone tightened.

When you have nothing left in life, what do you do? I didn't know. After a moment, a defeated smile crossed my face. No…That wasn't true. I knew what I could do, but when you pick the only option you have to choose from, can you really call that your own decision?

Being a tactician for the Shepherds wasn't a problem, in fact, I found studying tactics to be kind of fun. My problem was that I was scared. I kept thinking about what would happen if I failed. I kept lining up reasons not to do it, like "you're not capable of leading others," or "you'll just get everyone killed," and gave up on the idea of it altogether.

But hanging out with Chrom and Lissa, watching them, made me want try.

If I was to walk down the path of a tactician, I needed to act based on the answer, the reason, I found for myself. First, I needed some questions answered: Why did I follow Lucina? Why am I telling her all this? What was my real reason to act?

I knew what the answers were. There was something I wanted. I simply wished to understand. Understand, know, and rest easy in that knowledge-gain some peace of mind.

Lucina stood near me for another minute before I put my phone back into my pocket and gestured to the unoccupied side of the log next to me. She hesitated, then her sword retreated like a breath of wind and returned to her scabbard with a _click_.

I was amazed at the sheer smoothness of the motion, and it suggested to me just how skilled and familiar she was with the sword.

Lucina took a couple nimble steps towards me as I scooted over on the log to provide more room for her. She timidly sat down by my side, our shoulders almost close enough to touch. Having a beautiful girl sit beside me should have been a lovely situation, but the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive. I turned my attention to her pale face and opened my mouth to speak, when she did something utterly unexpected.

Her hands moved up to her face, and she slowly removed her mask. She placed it in her lap, and looked at me. For the first time, I could see her eyes.

They were cerulean like her father's, the Brand of the Exalt in her left eye just barely visible for me to see. Without the mask, most of her beautiful facial features were no longer hidden. If she undid her hair so it was its full length and put on a dress, she would no doubt look the part of a princess.

Sitting next to her like this, I was having an incredibly hard time finding what to say.

I felt somewhat embarrassed by the fact that I had tried so hard to meet her and now I was struggling to think of a topic for us to discuss. However, nothing really good came to mind or nothing that I could really think of in my tired state of mind.

My mind drifted over to meaningless conversation starters, but I realized that would be a terrible waste of both our time.

Something about her character finally came to my mind. She would always mention and make reference to her future in her dialogue. It was probably something worth asking about.

For a few seconds I deliberated whether or not to start that kind of conversation, and finally I managed to mumble out, "There's something I need to ask you, if you don't want to answer, you can stay quiet."

"What is it?" Lucina hesitantly asked.

The girl's expression was unreadable. Was she worried or perhaps resigned? I couldn't tell.

"Can you tell me about the future you came from?" I asked after a moment. "I only know a little about it, but I would like to hear it from you."

Lucina frowned, not looking at me. "I don't think words could describe it, honestly."

"Sorry," I said in an apologetic tone, rubbing the back of my neck, "it was stupid of me to ask."

"No, it's fine," she said quickly, combing back her hair. "It's just, not something I like to think about."

I waited a little while, and finally Lucina looked at me, her face somber. "In the future, almost no corner of our world is safe for humans. Risen prowl the lands as masters of all. The people cower in terror, helpless."

I motioned for her to continue, keeping a neutral expression on my face.

"The world is little more than a burned-out husk. The once green fields of Ylisse are no more than charcoal and ash. Our cities, barren wastelands, empty with disease that took whatever the fire didn't. When the kingdom fell…not a lot of people got out…" Lucina paused to look at me. Her face stricken with grief.

Since I'd met Lucina, I felt like I had seen a lot of her expressions in a short time. Her determined face, her imposing warrior face, her concern face, I had seen many expressions from her, but this one was new.

To see a girl who was so much more powerful than me looking so weak pained my heart. Lucina had already risked her life twice to save me, but now that it was my time to help her, I was even more conflicted on what I wanted.

When I didn't say anything in response, she went on, "The smell of smoke and death hang in the air like a haze that partially shrouds the blood-red sun. The skies are lifeless, no birds fly or sing. The Wyverns and Pegasus's that remain, have troubles flying from the oppressive heat that bears down on us."

 _Sounds like a lovely place,_ I thought wryly, not daring to voice the thought aloud, lest I wish for a Falchion to the face.

"What about food?" I asked quietly. "How did you all survive?"

There was a long pause. Then Lucina replied, "We did our best to scavenge. Food is scarce, and medicine almost non-existent. Most days we would go without food, or water. If someone died, we could not afford to bury them. They were either left to rot or turned into another puppet for Grima to use." She looked down for a moment, emotions warring on her face, usually so closed. "I've watched a lot of people die…good people…friends…" Her voice broke, she took a few moments to compose herself. "That is why, I cannot, I _must_ not, let that future come to pass."

 _She's so young,_ I thought. _She's only, what, sixteen? Why was she forced to live that kind of life? Why is she forced to save the world?_

Lucina lived strong and proud, full of confidence, without a single shred of hesitation about what she should do. Comparing my position to hers, I seemed all the more pathetic.

Both of us were outcasts in this world. Neither one of us should have existed, yet somehow, we both managed to end up here through a series of unfathomable events. However, we were entirely different from one another.

One side desperately sought salvation for the world. The other dreamed of living a normal life. The girl who put the needs of others before her own, and the boy who could only think in his own self-interest. A slave to hope, and a slave to fear. Though our circumstances were similar, there was no way either of us could be the same. I think that was why I found her so interesting. She was everything I wasn't.

"I won't say anything like, 'I understand what you've been through' or 'how you feel,' but I think I have a better grasp of the situation," I said, "why you're trying so hard." I paused, and added softly, "You're a very brave girl, Lucina."

The princess attempted a smile. "You're kind, Mark. But I'm not as brave as you think," she said, and for some reason, she was facing the other way. And thanks to that pose, I noticed something about her: the gentle line from her chin to her neck was rather beautiful.

I had to avert my gaze to avoid staring. I took my time trying to form a rebuttal to her earlier response, but I was unable to come up with anything. Finally, I couldn't bear the silence any longer.

"What was I like in the future?" I asked.

After I said that, Lucina turned to look at me with a complicated expression, wanting to say something but seemed apprehensive about it.

The silence between us stretched a moment longer.

"You were a tactician of unprecedented ability," Lucina finally said. "While you were a great fighter, they say you truly shone best when you were put in charge of an army. A great leader, able to handle himself on the field of battle, or as the attacker or defender in a siege. It is said that in one retreating battle, you led the vanguard under my father. I hear that you managed to slay the enemy commander, even in that losing battle."

"Sounds like he was pretty amazing," I commented.

"You're right, you were," and when she said it, for an instant her demeanor changed. Softened into a warm wistful smile.

"Not only did you have leadership to keep up morale of a defeated army, but it was also a feat that you couldn't have pulled off without the foresight needed to locate a spot where they could meet the enemy efficiently."

I wasn't sure if I was mistaken or not but it sounded like there was a degree of admiration in her voice as she spoke that I couldn't help but envy a little. Did…did she really respect him?

There, Lucina paused for a moment before continuing to speak. "In your personal life, you were known to be a polite individual, but kept mostly to yourself. You had a close relationship to my father that was more than just professional. You were his _closest_ friend," she said almost accusingly, "you were practically family."

Lucina had on a smile clouded with sadness. "You…even cared for me like I was your own daughter," she said in a vanishingly small voice, and then jerked her head away. Her cheeks seemed flushed. Perhaps she was embarrassed to admit that.

My brows furrowed in a sympathetic look, and I lightly clutched at my heart. _Right in the feels._

For a long time, I simply stared at the girl. I wasn't sure how to respond to that.

Lucina's statements valued the human being called Robin; not me.

I didn't know the proud and noble Robin that she knew. The person sitting beside her was not that man. I could never be…

Even so, I still wanted to help her. She carried a weight far too heavy for one person alone. I didn't want to see her crushed by it.

After a few more moments, I decided to pose a question despite my mouth's unwillingness to move.

"Lucina," I said, gently, "what were your feelings towards him? Was he like a second father to you?"

When I said that, Lucina hung her head in sadness. "Yes…you always made time to play with me and my sister. Bringing us presents whenever you visited the castle. You were a wonderful man. So why did you…"

Lucina started to say something but stopped, shaking her head.

I opened my mouth to inquire, and then my throat caught. Every drop of blood in my body froze as a terrible realization settled at the edge of my consciousness. _She thinks I killed her father._

And just like that, the missing piece of the puzzle fell into place. I finally understood why Lucina had been so hostile towards me when we first met.

 _Why did she save me, then?_ I wondered. _Why hasn't she taken the opportunity to kill me?_

A sudden thought popped into my head. _Unless_ … _she doesn't know for sure._

I chewed my lower lip, thinking, the fingers of my right hand beating an uneven rhythm on my thigh.

If she were to learn the truth of her father's demise, she would no doubt judge me for a crime I did not commit and strike me down.

I couldn't let that happen. I needed to convince her otherwise.

"Lucina…" I held my breath. This was a gamble. An extremely dangerous gamble. But I had to do it to gain her trust. "There is one thing that's bothering me."

Lucina arched an eyebrow, curious. "What would that be?" she asked.

 _Right…,_ I thought. My shoulders trembled slightly, and I stared at the ground. _What do I say to avoid the worst?_

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I waited several more seconds to help calm down before speaking, "I never did manage to learn how Chrom died in your future." I paused for a moment and turned to face her, though I didn't dare look her in the eyes. "Do you know how it happened?"

What I was doing right now was heartless, cruel, and even manipulative. From the start I had been lying and manipulating people, and it was slowly killing me on the inside. But was it wrong if it helped save my own skin?

Lucina didn't speak for a long time, until I began to wonder whether or not she would answer at all. "I only know how he dies from rumors…," she said.

I couldn't quite read Lucina's expression as she spoke. All emotion seemed to leave her lovely face, like a receding tide. Even without her mask on, I was having a hard time escaping the impression that she had donned another one.

"Rumors?" I ventured.

"I heard that, he fell in a great battle, fought to sway destiny…" Lucina went quiet as her eyes focused on something far away for just a moment. She returned to herself immediately and looked straight at me. "…And that he was murdered-betrayed by someone close to him."

I knitted my brow slightly; my eyes wandering the forest. _What should I say?_

"I'm sorry," I said after a few seconds, turning my head to look at her. "You've lost so much. I'll do whatever I can to help you make sure he survives."

To my surprise, she flashed a brief something that just barely counted as a smile.

It wasn't sad or disparaging or doubtful; it was just a genuine smile.

But it disappeared in nearly an instant, and she assumed a guilt-ridden expression. "Mark, I want to apologize for how I treated you earlier. I was-"

"It's fine," I interrupted brusquely not wanting her to continue any further.

When Lucina opened her mouth to speak, I raised a hand to stop her. "Seriously, don't worry about it. I understand why you were so distrustful of me. Besides, I probably deserved it for something I did in the past."

 _Or in the future,_ I bitterly thought.

"Still…" Lucina held a remorseful expression as she looked down at her clasped hands. "That was wrong of me."

Every word out of her mouth fanned the flames of guilt inside me. But I felt it was the right decision, and I kept telling myself that to help douse the flames within.

"How about we start over then?" I extended my right hand out and offered her a gentle smile. "I'm Mark," I said.

Lucina gave me a funny look before comprehension swept across her face. "My name is Lucina." She returned my smile as she shook my hand.

"Pleasure to meet you, Lucina," I said sincerely as our handshake broke apart.

Mentally I fist pumped. _Progress!_

Suddenly, Lucina's expression morphed into a pensive one. Something, was obviously bothering her.

"What's on your mind?" I asked.

"N-nothing, it's just..." Lucina paused and bit her lip, then she let out a sigh, "why do you not want to become a Shepherd?" she asked earnestly.

Her question was quiet but clear.

When I heard those words, my face, which had been a warm smile until recently, froze into an emotionless mask. A second later, I averted my gaze from her. I tried to focus solely on the rustling of the leaves from the wind overhead. The tall trees stood around me, like giant shadows peering down at a tiny figure who had trembled at their feet.

"It's not that simple, Lucina." My voice sounded somehow strained and then I added, "I will do everything I can to help you from the sidelines, but I am _not_ becoming a tactician."

"Why not?" Lucina asked with a slight furrow of her brows.

I kept my eyes upward as I answered quietly, "Because…I'm scared."

Lucina cocked her head in puzzlement. "What are you scared of?"

My expression slowly darkened, my gaze drifting over to the mark on my hand. "Myself," I whispered, drawing my trembling hand to my chest.

Awkwardly, I rose from the log, then walked over to a nearby tree, and leaned against it. I couldn't handle sitting so close to her any longer.

When I looked back at her, Lucina was shaking her head slowly, apparently at a loss and unable to comprehend what I was trying to say. "Why are you afraid of yourself?"

I thought for a moment on how I wanted to answer her, and when I spoke, it was partly the truth. "When I killed that bandit back in Southtown, a part of me enjoyed it, and that honestly scares me." Suddenly I found it hard to swallow, much less speak. "I-I don't want to forget what it's like to be a goofy kid who likes to make people laugh. I don't want to forget what it's like to make people smile. I don't want to forget what it feels like to be…me."

I looked down again at that accursed marking on my hand, and tried to cover it up. "Please." My voice was shaking so badly I couldn't say the word; it rolled half-formed out of my mouth. I inhaled and exhaled deeply as I calmed myself down. After a few more deep breaths, I was finally able to speak clearly again. "Don't ask me to do this, I don't want to become a monster."

When I finally fell into silence, Lucina began to speak in a sad, quiet voice.

"If you were really a monster, you wouldn't have to worry about being good."

Upon hearing those words, my head shot upward to look at her.

"I do not know what it feels like to take a life, but I understand why you're scared. I also have done some terrible things, worse things than you could ever imagine," Lucina said, her expression despondent and grim. "When I close my eyes…I still hear the screams of people I couldn't save, more than anyone could ever be able to count. They trusted me to lead them and I failed. I couldn't even protect the lives of the ones closest to me."

For a moment, I closed my eyes. I was unsure of what to say next. When I finally spoke, it was in a strained voice.

"How?" I asked, echoing a similar question that I had once asked her father. "How do you deal with all that pain? All that suffering?"

"I hold on to it tight, so tight that it hurts." Lucina clenched the mask in her hand so hard to the point where I thought it would snap. "And with that pain, I can keep going, because I know no one else will _ever_ have to endure a life like that. No one else will ever have to _feel_ pain like this. I won't let them!"

My mouth tightened into a straight line at hearing those words.

Lucina carried the hopes and dreams of her people-the demands of the many.

This was a burden she placed upon herself, one she chose to carry. The only question was, would it crush her?

"You can hardly call that a life," I said in a neutral tone.

"And running away and denying your heart, you can hardly call that a life," Lucina arrowed back.

My brows furrowed, as irritation crept over me. "But at least you'll still be alive."

"It won't be a life worth living," she replied.

I sighed deeply, and gave her a look full of pity. "This isn't how people are supposed to live, can't you see that? You have a chance to reunite with your parents, and be happy again. Don't you want that?"

Lucina gave me a smile with despair fit for the end of the world. "I do," she said. "More than anything."

"Then why don't you?" I asked.

"Because I don't belong to this time," Lucina said simply. "Seeing me father again, when he's so young and healthy, it's painful. I want nothing more than to run up to him and break down in his arms." Her voice faded to a mumble, but a moment later she clenched her fists tight. "But I can't, I mustn't alter the future anymore than what is necessary to save it."

"And the only way to save it is with your help," she continued, looking at me intently. "Please Mark, will you join my father and become a tactician. I hate to place such a cruel burden on your shoulders, but you are the only one who can do it.

"No," I said without a moment's hesitation.

Lucina's face took on a surprised expression at the single echoing word.

"Why not?" she asked, pursing her lips with a touch of annoyance.

"Because I'm not a tactician," I said. "Robin is. I'm not Robin. If anything, I'm just a poor imitation of the man you knew."

"Even if you are not that same man, you can still stop this," Lucina persisted. "You can help my father and his brave army avert the catastrophe that will one day come."

 _I'm the cause of that catastrophe, damn it!_ I nearly blurted out, barely killing the words on my tongue in time.

If I stayed with Chrom, all that would become of him and his Shepherds was a cruel future-Lucina's future.

Leaving was my only option.

If I left, I could never escape my own guilt and loneliness, but I could at least try to outrun my fate of being Grima's vessel…if I truly was his vessel.

That meant though, I couldn't help change the fate of Ylisse, help Chrom and Lissa save their homeland. I would simply have to cover my eyes and ears, shielding myself from their pain, sparing myself from having to see the cruelness that would one day befall them.

I shuddered as I realized that no matter which path I chose, both would lead to hell…

Was there any way that I could possible achieve salvation in this world?

Noticing my prolonged silence, Lucina decided to speak up again, "Mark, please. You've seen for yourself the monsters of my time," she said taking on a grave expression. "If Grima is revived, he will create an army of those monster that will destroy the world! Is that what you want?"

Upon hearing her words, I took a deep breath and let it out forcefully. The cool night air filled my body, and I hoped it would drive out the guilt manifesting within me.

"No, I don't," I said, shaking my head tiredly.

"Good." A faint smile rose suddenly to her face, and her voice was clear; her relief was evident. "With your help we-"

"But, I still can't help you," I cut in.

And just like that, the smile vanished from her face. Lucina stiffened. "Have you not heard a word that I have been saying?" she asked through gritted teeth, an undercut of anger in her voice. Her fists shaking and body trembling. "The Fell Dragon is going to be resurrected. We're talking about the fate of the world here!"

"Yes," I said, trying to affect indifference, "I heard you, and I understand all that."

Lucina's face flushed angrily. "Then why-?"

"Because it's not my fight," I said bluntly. "I have no reason to risk my life for any of this. This isn't even my world, so why should I care about what happens to it. If it's going to end then who am I to stop it from happening? I'm just one kid."

I could already tell Lucina was becoming uncontrollably angry the more I argued with her.

"This _is_ your world now." Her voice shook, and it seemed to take a moment to master herself. "You're part of this fight. We both are. If you don't help, everything will be destroyed. Innocent people will be slaughtered." Her eyes seemed to be searching my face. "You must feel something…"

I faltered for a second before shrugging my shoulders indifferently. "People die everyday." Even though it was the harsh truth of reality, the words still left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I couldn't be like her and devote myself to idea of saving the world, nor could I devote myself to the people and kingdom like Chrom. People such as them were fundamentally different from myself. I was a selfish person who only lived life thinking about myself.

"How can you-?!" Lucina rose up with such fury, her pale face gone red. Her hand reached down for the hilt of her sword, but stopped herself.

Taking a few seconds to collect herself, she said, "I thought you were my father's friend?"

My face slightly twitched, and my hands started to hurt. I looked down to see that they had clenched into fists. "I've only known the guy for a day," I replied as evenly as I could manage. "You're asking me to risk my life for strangers?"

"He saved you!" Lucina shouted.

Pushing myself off the tree so we stood face to face, I met Lucina's furious gaze with my own. "And I saved him!" I shouted back.

After a second-a second which seemed to stretch out forever to me-Lucina shook her head, releasing a heavy sigh, her face hard and bleak. "What happened to you?" she asked. "The man I knew wouldn't turn his back on people who needed him."

I raised an eyebrow at the bitterness in her voice. However, she was more than just bitter. She was hurt, disappointed and above all else frightened. I could see it in her face, though she tried to hide it.

"I'm not him," I growled out a moment later. "I don't know what I am anymore, but I'm not him." I turned around and stalked away from her, snatching my sword off the ground as I left the clearing.

"Mark?" Lucina's voice followed me.

Hearing her forlorn cry, I started to turn around to reply-but I changed my mind, and walked deeper into the depths of the forest.

"Mark?... _Mark_!"

I continued to ignore her as she called after me; attempting to make my exit before I got cold feet.

There was so much more that I had wanted to say to her, but anything else I could have said would only have been superfluous. _It's best to leave now,_ I told myself. _No point in dragging it out anymore._

I paused for a moment, and took one last look behind me. Lucina was sitting back on the log, her face buried in her hands.

Seeing her like that brought on a fresh onslaught of guilt in me. _This is for the best,_ I thought. But not even I could convince myself of a flimsy lie such as that.


End file.
